RELATIVE SIZE OF DIFFERENT DIVISIONS OF PLANT. 49 



Table 25. — Proportionate numbers of whorls in different axial divisions of the plant. 



These results are reasonably uniform, if, as is obviously fair, we 

 leave out of consideration the very small plants, such as, for example, 

 plants 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Series V. When the plant is so small as to have 

 only a main stem and a few primary branches it is clear that the per- 

 centage of whorls on these two portions will not agree with what is 

 found on large plants with many higher-order branches. Making due 

 allowance for these irregularities, the results set forth in the table show 

 that— 



(a) In well-developed plants on the average more than half the total 

 number of whorls are borne on primary branches. The actual v/eighted 

 mean percentage given by the values in column (b) of the table is 54.7 

 per cent. As it is obviously unfair that a plant like No. 2 in Series V 

 should have the same weight as No. 2 in Series IV, I have weighted 

 each entry in determining this and the following means with the abso- 

 lute size (i. e., in number of whorls) of the plant with which it is con- 

 cerned. 



