FASCIATION. 17 



in Primula vulgaris^ Hieraciwn aureumfiJid Ranunculus 

 bulbosus. I have myself met with several cases of the 

 kind in Primula veris, in the Polyanthus, in the Daisy, 

 and in the Leontodon Taraxa^cmn, in which latter a 

 fusion of two or more flower-stems bearing at the top 

 a composite flower, and made up of two, three, four, 

 or more flowers combined together, and containing all 

 the organs that would be present in the same flowers 

 if separate, is very common. 



Moquin's second objection is founded upon the fact 

 that, in certain fasciated stems, the branches are not 

 increased in number or altered in ari'angement from 

 what is usual ; but however true this may be in par- 

 ticular cases, it is quite certain that in the majority of 

 instances a large increase in the number of leaves and 

 buds is a prominent characteristic of fasciated stems. 



Another argument used by the distinguished French 

 botanist to show that fasciated stems are not due to 

 cohesion of two or more stems, is founded on the fact 

 that a transverse section of a fasciated stem generally 

 shows an elliptical outline with but a single central 

 canal. On the other hand, if two branches become 

 united and a transverse section be made, the form of 

 the cut surface would be more or less like that of the 

 figure 00, although in old stem.s this may give place 

 to an elliptical outline, but even then traces of two 

 medullary canals may be found. This argument is 

 very deceptive, for the appearance of the transverse 

 section must depend, not only on the intimacy of their 

 union, but also on the internal structure of the stems 

 themselves. When two flowers cohere without much 

 pressure they exhibit uniting circles somewhat re- 

 sembling the figure of oo, but when more completely 

 combined they have an outline of a very elongated 

 figure, and something similar is to be expected in her- 

 baceous stems. Even the elongated pith of a trans- 

 versely cut, woody, fasciated stem only marks the 

 intimate union of several branches, and rrof. Hincks, 

 whose views the Avrit^r entirely shares, has noticed 



