36 MORPHOLOGY OF SPECIES 



tions, with only slight differences of detail. It is to be noted 

 that the branches just described are not accessory branches, but 

 primary spiny branches, which very rarely, in ordinary cases, 

 reach such dimensions as 27 or 30 cm. of length. In a seedling 

 which had obtained a year's start, therefore, the direct effect of the 

 altered environment was to produce a reduction of stiffness and 

 spines, and an increase in the number of functional leaves. 

 The same effect was visible upon the accessory branches developed 

 on other parts of the seedling. 



It will be remembered that primary spiny branches were devel- 

 oped in the axils of all the linear, lanceolate leaves of the original 

 seedling, and in each case an accessory bud was formed between 

 the spiny branch and the leaf in whose axil it was produced. Five 

 of these accessory branches reached a length of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 

 7 "5 cm. respectively. The two longest were developed near the 

 apex of the seedling, the terminal bud of which had apparently 

 been killed by the previous cold winter, as it did not continue its 

 growth. These branches bore linear, lanceolate leaves, in the 

 axils of a few only of which were developed very rudimentary 

 spiny branches. No trifoliate leaves were developed, but in all 

 other respects they resembled the branches already described. 



This seems conclusive as to the effects of the environment in 

 reducing the normal character of the Furze bush, reduction of 

 spiny branches, and larger development of leaf surface in propor- 

 tion ; but in order to test it still further, I took a seedling which 

 had already had two years' start, having stood the very hard win- 

 ter of 1894 — 5, and brought it into the house, where it was 

 exposed to a uniform temperature, and supplied with plenty of 

 water. The main axis of this seedling above ground was 3 cm. 

 long, the terminal bud having been killed probably by the hard 

 winter of 1894. Seven lateral branches were developed on the 

 axis, which reached lengths respectively of 7, 3, 6, 3, 6, 7*5, and 

 5*5 cm. They were developed in the axils of trifoliate leaves. 

 All these branches developed linear, lanceolate leaves, with well 

 developed spiny branches in their axils ; and in the 5 larger 

 branches each axil developed an accessory bud. Of these acces- 

 sory buds, four to six developed on each branch to lengths of from 

 I '5 to 16 cm., seven of them being more than 7 cm. in length; 



