" <MlJ'.M(>>. 



instances of the union of two, and of only two, stems 

 Avbere tlie inlfM-nnl iinncnrnnfc \v;is tlicsninc :i>; in (tlu'f 



fasciations. 



Moquin, nioruovt!r, laisos tlio ul)joctioii liiat it is 

 unlikely that several branches should become united 

 lengthwise in one. plane only, and, further, that in the 

 greater number of fasciations all the other branches 

 which should be present are to be found not one is 

 wanting, not one has disappeared, as might have been 

 anticipated had fusion taken place. In raising this 

 objection, Moquin seems not sufficiently to have con- 

 sidered the circumstance that the buds in these cases 

 are in one plane from the first, and are all about equal 

 in point of age and size. 



The last objection that Moquin raises to the opinion 

 that fasciation is the result of a grafting process is, that 

 in such a case, examples should be found wherein the 

 branches are incompletely fused, and where on a trans- 

 verse section traces of the medullary canals belonging 

 to each branch should be visible. The arrangement of 

 leaves or buds on the surface should also in such a case 

 indicate a fusion of several spiral cycles or whorls. 

 To this it may be replied that such cases are met with 

 very frequently indeed. A figure is given by DeCandolle^ 

 of a stem of Spartium junceiim having several branches 

 only imperfectly fasciated. 



Fasciated stems, then, seem to be best explained, as 

 is stated by Prof. Hincks, " on the principle of adhesion 

 arising in cases where from superabundant nourish- 

 ment, especially if accompanied by some check or 

 injury, numerous buds have been produced in close 

 I)roximity, and the supposition that these gi'owths are 

 produced by the dilatation of a single stem is founded 

 on a false analogy between fasciated stems and certain 

 other anomalous growths." 



It will, not, of course, be forgotten that this fasciated 

 condition occurs so frequently in some plants as almost 

 fr. r'/>>.c^i it.ifo their natural state, e.g. fi''<l>i.n r,-t<i-ifii7n^ 



' ' Organ. Veg<^t.,' pi, iii, fig. i 



