176 ALTERATION OF POSITION. 



pointed than the central one ; like it they are provided 

 with hairs, but the liairs, in this case, are turned away 

 from the centre of the plant. The cavity of the side 

 lobes is generally empty, but that of the central lobe 

 is occupied by a very slender stalk, which is apparently 

 the termination of the midi'ib, but which is bent inwards 

 at an acute angle, so as to occupy the hollow space 

 (figs. 90-91). On this slender axis are developed two 

 florets, more or less imperfect in their structure. Only 

 one of the florets that I have seen contained a perfect 

 ovary. The tips of the lateral lobes of the paleae in 

 the primary flower are sometimes extended into a long 

 awn. A similar awn may also be occasionally found 

 on the tips of the paleae of the rudimentary florets. 

 The occurrence of an adventitious axial structure with 

 rudimentary flowers has been adduced in support of 

 the opinion that the lower palea is, at least so far as 

 its midrib is concerned, an axial rather than a foliar 

 structure, but in the present uncertain state of our 

 knowledge as to the morphology of grasses it is 

 hazardous to risk any explanation founded on so ex- 

 ceptional a case as that of the Nepaul barley.^ 



Production of flower-buds in place of leaf-buds. Under natu- 

 ral circumstances this does not appear to be of so 

 common occurrence as the change above alluded to, 

 but by the art of the gardener the change is often 

 effected. In rhododendrons and in peach trees and 

 roses I have met with this change occurring without 

 human agency. The means adopted by the gardener 

 are such as check the luxuriance of the leaf-shoots,^ 

 and this is effected in various ways, as by continuous 

 *' pinching" or removal of the leaf-buds, by pruning, 

 ringing the bark, confining the roots, limiting the 



' See also Lindley, ' Veg. Kingd.,' p. 109 et 116a, where the views of 

 Raspail, R. Bn>wn, Mohl, Hcnslow, and others, are discussed, 



' It has been observed that if a plant is snpplied with copions nourish- 

 ment the flowerine-period is delayed ; but that moderate or even scanty 

 nourishment accelerates it, Groethe, 'Mctam.,' 30, See also Wolff, 

 'Theoria Generationis,' 1759; Linn. ' Prolepsis,' 3 and 10. 



