May 1900.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUEGH 291 



been replanted, so that what was once shady wood is 

 now an open exposed moorland, with the usual covering 

 — Erica, Vaccinmm, Trientalis, Blechniim, and so forth. 

 On paying my annual visit to the spot last summer, I 

 was much interested on discovering that the Lycopods 

 were now bearing cones, and bearing them in profusion 

 such as I had never seen before. Further examination 

 revealed the still more interesting feature that a large 

 percentage of the plants showed marked variations, con- 

 sisting of extra branching of the strobiliferous axes, 

 branching of the cones, and metamorphy of the cones 

 into ordinary leafy shoots. 



Taking a rough estimate, I should say that on from 20 

 to 30 per cent, of tlie erect axes some of these variations 

 were found. I collected a quantity from one small 

 area taken at random, and from this made a selection 

 of specimens showing variations. Of this selected 

 material, 87 per cent, had extra branching of the 

 strobiliferous axes, 66 per cent, exhibited branching of 

 the cones, and in 9 per cent, the cones were completely, 

 or almost completely, metamorphosed into leafy shoots ; 

 two or all three variations might occur on the same 

 axis, and about 60 per cent, exhibited branching of the 

 axis associated with branching of the cones. 



These specimens appear interesting if taken as indicating 

 the wide range of variability in plant members ; they are 

 important in the consideration of the possible effects of 

 change of environment on the plant economy ; and 

 further, they are iustructive from the light they throw 

 on the phylogeny of the group. 



In the following notes are described some of the most 

 interesting variations, as figured in Plates I. and II.: — 



In Fig. 1 the erect axis supports a terminal cone 

 which has produced, as a lateral branch, a well developed 

 cone just above its base. The axis branches twice, first 

 about the middle of its length, and again higher up, 

 about half an inch below the base of the terminal 

 cone. In the former case the branch consists of a 

 long-stalked lateral cone on the right, and in the latter 

 a short-stalked lateral cone on the left, both cones being 

 of average size. 



