96 OBSKKVATtoJtS ON ASIATIi' COTTONS. 



vigorous, in others that of tlie axillary bud. It is, therefore^ 

 possible to consider such branches from a double aspect. In the 

 first instance the development of the apical bud forms the branch, 

 which is, thus, a monopodiuni bearing tertiary branches ; in the 

 second, the branch is formed of the internodes developed from the 

 successive axillary buds, with false tertiary branches developed 

 from the apical buds. The difficulty of determining which of 

 these two definitions most accurately describes the condition is 

 most marked when this dual development takes place at the 

 first (proximal) node of the branch and the two limbs are equally 

 developed. Frequently, however, this does not oecur till the 

 second node and in such cases the secondary branch definitely 

 starts as a monopodium (Plate I). 



Such a development is totally distinct from, though in 

 outward appearance, owing to subsequent torsion, very similar 

 to, a condition frequently met with in the Indian types, especially 

 (t. cernuum. Tod. Here the accessory bud of the syn)podiuni 

 develops (Plate II). The branch produced from this bud is 

 invariably a monopodium and if, as frequently happens, the 

 flower bud formed by the development of the apical bud falls, 

 the condition can only be distinguished by the presence of 

 the scar. 



Occasionally the dual development, or false dichotomy, takes 

 place at a series of successive nodes (Plate III). In such cases 

 the branch is most aptly termed a sympodium, for otherwise the 

 tertiary and subsequent branches must all be considered mono- 

 podia — a condition which has not been observed in any of the 

 Gossypia studied. In isolated cases the branching becomes still 

 more diverse. Plate IV illustrates one such instance. In this 

 ca.se the secondary branch is composite. The axillary bud at the 

 second node carries on the growth, the apical bud giving rise 

 to a weak monopodium only. The branch illustrated in Plate V 

 is still more complex ; considered as composed of the stronger 

 of the shoots arising at each node, it starts as a .s^'mpodium, 

 continues as a monopodium with a series of .sympodial tertiary 

 branches and ultimately ends in a sympodium. 



