GOSSYPIUM 



42-9 



which occurs in the axil of a leaf on the main stem at the second or 

 third node back from the apical meristem. (Fig. ixo, B.) This 

 axial primordium is early differentiated into two separate growing 

 points: one grows faster and becomes the fruiting branch primordium; 

 the other grows slowly and develops the axillary bud on the main axis, 

 which is homologous with the axillary bud of the fruiting branch. 

 The fruiting branch primordium becomes raised at three points where 

 the first leaf and stipules are to arise. At this stage a single primordium 

 exists which resembles the apical primordium of the main stem. After 

 the leaf and stipule primordia are definitely differentiated it begins 

 to grow away from the subtending leaf and is directed away at an 

 increasing angle. It becomes bluntly conical in shape and projects 

 beyond the subtending stipules continuing its development into a 



Fig. 12-0. A, longisection of apex of main axis; 6, same of fruiting axis; ax bud, axil- 

 lary fruiting branch bud; / /7r, flower primordium; //;>-, leaf primordium; />r, procambium; 

 ta- fr bi\ terminal fruiting branch; ter mer, terminal meristem. (After Gore.) 



flower bud. At this same time a zone of tissue becomes active between 

 the leaf and the primordium of a flower. It soon develops two unequal- 

 sized growing points, the smaller of which gives rise to the axillary 

 bud; the larger one continues the fruiting branch by developing a 

 leaf and stipules for the next axis. By a repetition of this process 

 the fruiting branch comes to consist of a series of axes, each axis made 

 up of a single internode and each terminated by a flower. (Fig. 2.2.1, 

 B, C) Cottons in which a sympodium consists of more than one 

 internode are exceptional. . . . Early in the development of the fruit- 

 ing branch, when the first fruiting axis is being formed, it is pushed 

 to one side so that the developing structures are projected to one 

 side of the leaf on the main stem. Thus a fruiting branch is more 

 nearly horizontal with the primary axis and grows out either to the 

 right or left of the subtending leaf on the main stem." 



Development of the Axillary Bud of the Fruiting Branch. — 

 The development of the bud which occurs in the axil of the leaf on a 

 fruiting sympodium has been reported by King, Cook and Meade, 

 and Gore. Cook and Meade (lo) state that 



