LECT. XI.] CAULINAR AND FOLIAR APPENDAGES. 669 



scarlet in Bartsia coccinea. The situation of 

 bractes, in the majority of instances, is on the 

 peduncle or flower-stalk, as in the Lime tree, &c. ; 

 but in others, on the stem, either beneath the 

 flower, as in Anemone, in which they are re- 

 garded as an involucre (involucrum) ; or forming a 

 tuft above the flowers, when they are termed 

 coronant ( coronantes) , as in the Crown Imperial, 

 Fritillaria imperialis ; tongue-leaved Eucomis, E. 

 regia, and the Pine Apple, Bromelia Ananas, &c. ; 

 and, in several species of Mussaenda, they arise 

 from one of the teeth of the calyx. In point of dura- 

 tion these organs are either caducous, deciduous, 

 or persistent. The use of the bractes, in the ve- 

 getable economy, is very little understood. When 

 they have the aspect and colour of leaves, their 

 functions are probably the same as those of leaves ; 

 and, when they are coloured, they may resemble, 

 in some degree, those of the petals of the flower ; 

 for, in plants which have the bractes beautifully 

 coloured, there is either no distinct evolution of 

 the corolla, as in Buginvillea, or the uppermost 

 flowers do not expand, as in Melampyrum nemo- 

 rosum and cristatum. Their use to the systematic 

 Botanist, in furnishing characters for the distinc- 

 tion of species, is very important. 



c. The pitcher (ascidium*) is a hollow foli- 



* Willdenow introduced this term from the Greek 

 a small bottle. 



