132 EEYTHEA. 



C. Branches and Ligules. 



At the top the stipe seems to divide into two stout branches 

 which are separated from one another by a broad and rounded 

 sinus. They sometimes reach a length of 30 cm. or even 

 perhaps exceed it. They are much flattened but one edge is 

 blunt, thicker, and somewhat rounded while the other is 

 thinner and sharper. Furthermore, these branches are not 

 plane but are turned in toward one another at the tip of the 

 stipe forming at that point a short, shallow furrow on one 

 side, while the other side is decidedly convex. As they leave 

 the stipe, they are twisted still more, through half a turn at 

 least, thus causing what is properly the inner (or upper) 

 margin to lie outwards and the outer (or lower) margin to lie 

 inwards or toward the median longitudinal axis of the plant. 

 This feature is well shown in the specimen reproduced upon 

 Plate 4. 



In cross section, each branch is nearly spatulate, the 

 broader, rounded end being the outer or lower edge. The 

 medulla is of the same shape and is considerably within the 

 periphery until the inner (or upper) margin is reached 

 where it comes to the very surface, thus showing, as will be 

 noticed below, that the inner margin has resulted from ero- 

 sion. About half way between the medulla and the periphery 

 is a row of mucilage ducts. 



At the tip of each branch, is situated a small flattened por- 

 tion, the small subreniform blade of Areschoug's descrip- 

 tion. The fact that both the branches and these small 

 expanded portions really arise from the original blade will 

 be shown later. We may distinguish them as ligules. Each 

 ligule bears upon its margin a number of strap-shaped pro- 

 longations, the sporophylls. 



D. Sporophylls. 



The sporophylls vary greatly in number but are usually 

 fairly numerous, 30 to 50 being borne upon each ligule. 

 They are long (up to 75 cm.), narrow (up to 6 cm. wide), 

 thin structures, narrowly attenuated at the base and blunt or 



