﻿Taxonomic 
  Anomalies 
  673 
  

  

  Likewise 
  we 
  must 
  refrain 
  from 
  a 
  consid- 
  

   eration 
  of 
  the 
  physiologic 
  qualities 
  of 
  the 
  ten- 
  

   dril, 
  and 
  confine 
  our 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  combina- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  a 
  limb, 
  a 
  naked 
  midvein 
  and 
  an 
  ascidimn. 
  

   This 
  combination 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  basis 
  of 
  our 
  dis- 
  

   cussion. 
  It 
  is 
  liable 
  to 
  be 
  produced 
  all 
  of 
  a 
  sud- 
  

   den. 
  This 
  assertion 
  is 
  proved 
  by 
  its 
  occurrence 
  

   as 
  a 
  varietal 
  mark 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  ordinary 
  

   cultivated 
  plants. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  group 
  known 
  as 
  

   Croton, 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  genus 
  Codiaeum. 
  

   A 
  variety 
  is 
  called 
  interruption 
  and 
  another 
  ap- 
  

   pendiculatum, 
  and 
  these 
  names 
  both 
  relate 
  to 
  

   the 
  interruption 
  of 
  the 
  leaves 
  by 
  a 
  naked 
  mid- 
  

   vein. 
  The 
  leaves 
  are 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  built 
  up 
  of 
  three 
  

   parts. 
  The 
  lower 
  half 
  retains 
  the 
  aspect 
  of 
  a 
  

   limb; 
  it 
  is 
  crowned 
  by 
  a 
  vein 
  without 
  lateral 
  

   nerves 
  or 
  blade-like 
  expansions, 
  and 
  this 
  stalk 
  

   in 
  its 
  turn 
  bears 
  a 
  short 
  limb 
  on 
  its 
  summit. 
  The 
  

   base 
  of 
  this 
  apical 
  limb 
  exhibits 
  two 
  connate 
  

   lobes, 
  forming 
  together 
  a 
  wide 
  cup 
  or 
  ascidium. 
  

   It 
  should 
  be 
  stated 
  that 
  these 
  interruptum 
  varie- 
  

   ties 
  are 
  highly 
  variable, 
  especially 
  in 
  the 
  rela- 
  

   tive 
  size 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  principal 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  leaf. 
  

   Though 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  course 
  conceded 
  that 
  the 
  ascidium 
  

   of 
  Nepenthes 
  has 
  many 
  secondary 
  devices 
  

   which 
  are 
  lacking 
  in 
  Croton, 
  it 
  seems 
  hardly 
  al- 
  

   lowable 
  to 
  deny 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  an 
  analogous 
  

   origin 
  for 
  both. 
  Those 
  of 
  the 
  Croton, 
  according 
  

   to 
  our 
  knowledge 
  regarding 
  similar 
  cases, 
  must 
  

  

  