26 THE PHENOMENON OF 



But the rudiments of the formation of sprouts exist in 

 the axils of the lower leaves of this series, and quite as 

 many specimens may be found with one or two branches, 

 as perfectly simple. In a similar way, in many other 

 plants which usually possess abundant ramification, we 

 find specimens which, under the influence of unfavorable 

 conditions, do not complete the branches which really 

 exist in rudiment, and therefore appear quite simple. 

 Such simple "arrests" (Kilmmerlinge] occur, for example, 

 in Erytlircea pulcliella, Gentiana iitriculosa, Saxifraga 

 tridactylites, Silene conica, Gypsophila muralis, Papaver 

 Rhteas, Myosurus minimus, &c. In all these cases, there- 

 fore, the want of branches depends solely upon an acci- 

 dental obstruction. Other plants appear simple because 

 the formation of sprouts is hidden beneath, or is close 

 down upon the earth, as in the tulip, which forms sprouts 

 in the cataphyllary leaf region (bulbels), also Trollius 

 europceus, Papaver nudicaule, Gentiana verna, which 

 form sprouts in the axils of the ground leaves (" radical" 

 leaves), whereby the originally simple "stock" passes 

 into a caespitose complexity, and acquires what is called a 

 " radix multiceps." Paris is deceptive in another way, 

 the simple and one-flowered erect stem being itself a 

 lateral sprout from a subterranean cataphyllary-leaved 

 stem (rhizome). Among the simplest plants altogether 

 devoid of sprouts, apparently presenting solely a flower 

 without a stem, is the celebrated Rqfflesia and the para- 

 sites nearly allied to it ; but it is most probable that the 

 flowers of these plants arise as sprouts out of a thallus- 

 like basis, creeping along under the bark of the nursing 

 plant.* The Melocactece form an exception in the family 

 to which they belong, ungrateful to the admirers of that 

 family, in sending out no sprouts from their green, 

 globular " stocks ;" but here also the rudiments of the 

 formation of sprouts are indicated, by headed-down 

 " stocks," sometimes sending out sprouts from the lower 



* See R. Brown ' On the Female Flower and Fruit of Rqffksia Arnoldi,' &c. 

 ' Trans. Linn. Soc.,' xix, 3, p. 232 (note). 



