90 THE PHENOMENON OF 



when on the same axis. Thus it is a very common 

 phenomenon for the axis of racemose inflorescences to 

 have developed hypsophyllary leaves (bracts), while those 

 on the flower- stalks (vorbldtfar, bracteoles) are suppressed. 

 Numerous examples of this are furnished by the Scrophu- 

 larineae,* Verbenacea3,f Labiatae,^ Leguminose, and 

 also Famaria and Corydalis, Hedera Helix, Mahonia, 

 Thesium ebracteatum and rostratum.\ The other case, 

 in which the entire hypsophyllary formation is composed 

 of abortive leaves, is likewise very common, we find it in 

 almost the whole family of Cruciferae, in Convallaria 

 multiftora, of which, besides, there is a variety with de- 

 veloped and even foliaceous bracts ; in many Leguminosse, 

 e. g. Trifolium, in the Umbelliferae without involucre and 

 involucel, e.g. Anetlmm and Fceniculum. Great numbers of 

 examples might be cited of plants with terminal flowers, 

 where consequently the leaf-formation reappears again on 

 the same axis, in the flower, after the suppression of 

 several leaves, e.g. Solanum, Gilia tricolor, capitata, many 



* Ex. gr. Diffitalis, Antirrhinum, many species of Linaria, Verbascum, 

 Blattaria, while in Verlascum Thapsus, and the allied species, as also in 

 Scrophularia, Gratiola, &c., the bracteoles are developed. 



f Verbena, Aloysia, while Vitex exhibits developed bracteoles. 



\ Teucrium, Prunella; in many other genera of the family the bracteoles 

 are visible. Scutellaria exhibits a beautiful transition to the suppression of 

 the bracteoles, for in many species, for instance S. alpina, they exist only 

 as scarcely perceptible papillae. Salvia presents a series very instructive in 

 this respect. S. patens and dulcis have solitary flowers standing in the 

 axils of bracts, without visible bracteoles ; S. coccinea, splendent, and involu- 

 crata, have three-flowered, S.farinosa (trichostyla, Bischoff), and conferliflora 

 many-flowered cymes without visible bracteoles ; S. Horminum three-flowered 

 cymes with developed bracteoles of the middle flowers, but not of the 

 lateral flowers ; S. glutinosa, lastly, has three-flowered cymes with developed 

 bracteoles of both the middle flowers aud the lateral flowers. 



Pisum, Galega, Podalyria australis; in Colutea andLitpimsthe extremely 

 small bracteoles at the base of the calyx are often scarcely visible; in other 

 genera, Phaseolvs in particular, they are more considerably developed. 



|| I have purposely chosen only such examples as at once show the exist- 

 ence of the supposed bracteoles, either by the visible presence of these in 

 other genera of the same family, or even other species of the same genus, 

 leaving out of the question other grounds for the assumption. In the 

 family of the Furnariacea? they are visible in Dielytra; in the Berberidese in 

 Berber is itself; in the genus Hedera in H. capitata; in the genus Thesium in 

 all the other indigenous species except the two mentioned above. 



