DESCRIPTIVE BOTANJT. 



PART 1. 



the series we are investigating, then " secondary " buds 

 (Nos. 2.) are developed from the axils of the leaves or 

 bractes; and when these become branches, "tertiary" 



buds (Nos. 3.) are similarly developed from them ; and so 

 on. In this way a plant may be considered capable of 

 indefinitely multiplying the number of its branches, and 

 also of extending them to' any length, by the continued 

 development of the terminal bud at the extremity of 

 each of them. Trees continue to develop a succession 

 of buds in this manner for many years together, without 

 producing flower-buds ; but some trees, and all herb- 

 aceous plants, soon produce flower-buds, and then the 

 branches on which they occur are abruptly terminated. 

 Now, it appears to be a general rule, that when the 

 buds of one order cease to develop as branches, by 

 becoming flower-buds, then the buds of the next order, 

 which are developed round the axis of the former, like- 

 wise terminate in flower-buds. Thus, if No. 1., after 

 developing a branch and leaves, ultimately becomes a 

 flower-bud, then every bud (Nos. 2, 3,' 4, &c.) which 

 terminates the branches developed round its axis, will 

 also ultimately terminate in flowers. Now, in the com- 



