166 ALTK RATION OF TOSITION. 



Peru, in which the capitula, instead of consisting of 

 florets, as usual, contained tufts of linear ciliolated 

 bracts within the involucre, without a trace of flowers. 

 In the eleventh volume of the * Linnaea,' 1837, p. 301, 

 Von Cesati figures and describes an analogous case in 

 Carduus crlspun. The same author^ records a similar 

 instance in the umbel of Seseli coloratum, where the 

 place of the flowers was occupied by stalked tufts of 

 leaves. In the ' Gardeners' Chronicle,' October 6th, 

 1860, p. 894, is mentioned an instance where the blos- 

 soms of the pea were entirely absent, and tlieir place 

 supplied by accumulations of small, ovate, green scales, 

 thus presenting an appearance similar to that brought 

 about by the inordinate multiplication of the sepals in 

 the " wheat-ear carnation," and in the Sweet William, 

 and not unlike the condition met with in Bryophyllum 

 pi'oliferuni. In Digitalis purpurea a similar anomaly 

 is sometimes met with. 



In the apple I have observed leafy shoots bearing 

 terminal tufts of leaves where the flower should have 

 been, so that what, under ordinary circumstances, 

 would be a corymb of flowers, is here represented by 

 a series of tufts of leaves. In the cultivated azaleas, 

 also, leafy shoots occupying the position of the flower 

 may occasionally be met with. 



In Bouchea hi/derahadeiisifi I have seen the inflor- 

 escence more than usually branched and covered with 

 little tufts of bracts, without a trace of true flowers. 

 A similar condition seems not infrequent in Gentiana 

 Aniarella^ as I have not only met with the plant myself 

 in this condition, but have been favoured with specimens 

 by Mr. Pamplin, Mr. Darwin, and others. In Fhi/teuma 

 S2)icainni an analogous appearance has been recorded. 



Among Griffith's collections from Aff*ghani8tan is a 

 species of willow {Sali.f) in which the inflorescence is 

 replaced by a much branched panicle, bearing a quantity 

 of minute bracts, in the axils of which nestle numerous 

 jimall buds. In another specimen the inflorescence 



' ]jiiiii;i":i." xi. p. ;{0l. 



