Trifolinin Pratcnsc Quinquefolium. 
45 
is, of course, the main stem of the whole plant. Here 
also the number of leaflets per leaf first increases, on the 
average, and then decreases, with many fluctuations how- 
ever. The branches themselves exhibit a certain periodic- 
ity since the lower ones contain a smaller quantity of 
Fig. 5. Tri folium pratcnse quinquefolium, 1900, showing 
the periodicity of the anomaly on a branch. Beginning 
from below the leaves have 3 4 4 6 7 5 leaflets. 
abnormal leaves than those next above them, whilst the 
highest of all are poorer again. 
If therefore the conditions are favorable to a branch 
in its earliest stages it will develop more 4-7-merous 
