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SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I40 



complexity of the processes involved and of the wealth of variations 

 and their rate in time, as well as an indication of the real multiplicity 

 of growth flushes. 



A summary of growth flushes as such, is given in table 174. The 

 number for each branch or each section is an absolute minimum. All 

 types of growth layers are included. Insofar as a flush is concerned, a 

 diffuse, complete, entire growth layer, a diffuse lens, or diffuse arc 

 is just as important ecologically as a sharp, complete, entire growth 

 layer, a sharp lens, or sharp arc. In addition to multiplicity, the table 

 also illustrates some of the relationships between tip flushes and diam- 

 eter flushes, and between tip flushes and years. 



Table 175 gives chiefly the average number of diameter flushes per 

 year per species. Entries for Con T, TTC, TTJ, TTP, and XSC are 

 closer to a general average because of the large number of branches 

 used. These figures came from branches which may be thought to 

 emphasize multiplicity; nevertheless they are representative and do 

 include branches of all types. The pines in general have a low "factor 



Table 174. — Total number of growth flushes for the number of years indicated 

 DF = diameter flushes ; TF = tip flushes. 



