GENESIS. 



227 



eti nature of tlie sexual axis, affords corroborative evidence: 

 giving very much the impression, as it does, of an aborted 

 sexless axis. Besides lacking those internodes which the 

 leaf- bearing axis commonly possesses, the flowering axis 

 differs by the absence of rudimentary lateral axes. In a leaf- 

 bearing axis, the axil of every leaf usually contains a small 

 bud, which may or may not develop into a lateral axis ; 

 but though the petals of a flower are homologous with leaves, 

 they do not bear homologous buds at their bases. Ordinarily, 

 too, the foliar appendages of sexual axes, are much smaller 

 than those of sexless ones the stamens and pistils especially, 

 which are the last formed, being extremely dwarfed ; and 

 there is even reason for thinking that the absence of chloro 

 phyll from the parts of fructification, is a fact of like mean 

 ing. Moreover, the formation of the seed-vessel appears 

 to be a direct consequence of arrested nutrition. If a 

 gloved-finger be taken to represent a growing shoot, 

 (the finger standing for the core of the shoot, and the 

 glove for the cambium-layer, in which the process of 

 growth takes place) ; and if it be supposed that there is a 

 diminished supply of material for growth ; then, it seems 

 a fair inference, that growth will first cease at the apex of 

 the cambium-layer, represented by the end of the glove- 

 finger ; and supposing growth to continue in those parts 

 of the cambium-layer that are nearer to the supply of nutri 

 ment, their further longitudinal extension will lead to the 

 formation of a cavity at the extremity of the shoot, like that 

 which results in a glove-finger when the finger is partially 

 withdrawn and the glove sticks to its end. Whence it seems, 



with bract, but much smaller than the other ; corolla large but cleft along the top ; 

 six stamens with anthers, pistil, and seed-vessel. 3rd flower, large; six-cleft 

 calyx, cleft corolla, with six stamens, pistil, and seed-vessel, with a second pistil 

 half unfolded at its apex. 4th flower, large ; divided along the top, six stamens. 

 5th flower, large; corolla divided into three parts, six stamens. 6th flower, 

 large ; corolla cleft, calyx six- deft, the rest of the flower normal. 7th, and all suc 

 seeding flowers, normal. 



