274 VEGETABLE ORGANOGRAPHY. 



in such a manner as to form a nearly cylindrical body, 

 spread out at the base, arranged side by side so as to 

 form an expanded disc ; and in certain cases, one would 

 be inclined to believe that the fasciculated expansions 

 are produced by the natural union of several small 

 branches which arose, side by side, from the same 

 point. There is no doubt that this happens sometimes, 

 but it would be imprudent to affirm that it is the only 

 cause of these expansions. 



Branches are very subject to this unusual kind of de- 

 velopment ; the fasciculated branch or stem is nearly 

 cylindrical, afterwards it becomes flattened, more or less 

 striated or channelled longitudinally; near the extre- 

 mity the small portions separate by the striae having a 

 tendency to separate from each other, and frequently 

 form as many small branches situated nearly upon the 

 same plane ; when they do not separate, they frequently 

 present the appearance of nerves united by cellular tis- 

 sue. Almost all vascular plants may accidentally pre- 

 sent this phenomenon ; thus I have observed it among 

 herbaceous Dicotyledons in Ranunculus, Euphorbia, 

 Cyparlssia, Chicorium, Jasione, the Cockscomb, some 

 species of Stapelia, See. ; among woody ones in Daphne 

 Mezereum, the Jessamine, Ash, Broom, (PI. 4, fig. 1,) 

 &c. ; and among Monocotyledons in Asparagus, and also 

 in some Ferns. 



If it were always accidental, it would possess little 

 organographical interest ; but it is sometimes presented 

 under an appearance so constant, that it seems to form 

 part of the ordinary state of plants ; this appears to be 

 the case in Xylophylla (PI. 16, fig. 1.) 



On examining the nature of plants capable of forming 

 these expansions, we see them either much branched, or 

 furnished with a very abundant cortical cellular tissue — 

 two circumstances which tend to confirm the hypothesis 



