152 McATEE: VIBURNUM AND THE CAPRIFOLIACEAE 
from the false by their pertaining to the stem rather than to the 
petiole appears to take little account of the fact that the petiole 
itself is a product of the stem and that in so plastic a kingdom as 
plants the appendages of the petiole and those of the stem from 
which it springs can not be otherwise than connected by every 
possible gradation. In the most typically stipulate plants, such 
as Rosa and Trifolium, the stipules are lobes at the base of the pet- 
ioles, to which they adhere when the leaves are torn off. Even 
though they are true stipules they certainly are not adnate to the 
stem. Allin all, it is certain that the stipules of Caprifoliaceae can 
Fic. 1. Foliate development of stipules in Viburnum Opulus. 
not be denied and judging from efforts that have been made, it is 
useless to seek a wording that will distinguish them in all of their 
phases from those of the Rubiaceae. Stipules are known in four 
of the genera (Sambucus, Viburnum, Leycesteria, Lonicera) of 
Caprifoliaceae, and perfoliate leaves in three (Lonicera, Leyces- 
teria, Triosteum) ; and if we descend to the criterion of stipular line, 
as is done to evidence the genuineness of some Rubiaceae, we need 
exclude no caprifoils except those of the genus Alseuosmia which 
have alternate leaves. 
Do the Caprifoliaceae merit family rank?—A rigorous yet en- 
tirely fair test of the validity of a classificatory group is: If 
