28 FLOWER-BUDS [CH. 



some cases a distinct piece of dead twig, as long as the 

 bud, can be seen projecting up the side of this apparently 

 terminal bud e.g. in the Hornbeam, Plane, and even 

 Willows ; in others the end of the twig becomes a pointed 

 dead thorn e.g. Prunus, Hippophae, Pyrus, Gratcegus, 

 Rhamnus catharticus. 



The long branches of Oak, Maple, Ash, and Conifers, on 

 the other hand, almost always have terminal buds which 

 normally continue the growth. 



A much more common cause of cessation of elongation 

 of branches, however, is their termination in a flower, for, 

 with rare exceptions, the end of the branch included in 

 the centre of the flower ceases all further elongation. 

 Exceptions do occur, however, as shown by the prolifera- 

 tion of Larch-cones (Fig. 8), Pears, and other cases; 

 such proliferation is normal in Cycads. The peculiarities 

 of these floral axes and their branch-systems have already 

 been treated of in dealing with the flower and inflores- 

 cence, but inasmuch as each axis of a flower-bud and each 

 flower-stalk is a branch, we may deal with its general 

 nature here. 



It rarely happens that the primary axis, or main stem, 

 developed from the plumule ends in a flower during the 

 first year, and then the whole plant dies after scattering 

 the seeds ; much more common is the case where the 

 primary axis developes only leaves during the first year, 

 and then grows up rapidly and ends in a branch system 

 of flowers, terminating its life at the end of the second 

 season e.g. biennial plants such as Foxglove, Mustard, &c. 



Cases like that of the Tulip or Hyacinth have to be 

 carefully distinguished from the above. At first sight it 

 looks as if the Tulip flower was a direct continuation of 

 the primary axis : so it is, of the main axis of the bulb, 

 but the latter was itself a secondary axis in the axil of a 



