THE RECEPTACULAR TUBE. 99 



belonging to the petals are given off by radial chorisis from 

 the sepaline, either quite from the base of the ovary or from 

 about midway up the tube; they then diverge right or left at 

 an acute angle, and, as soon as they have reached the summit 

 of the ovary, pass up into the corolla.* As a rule, however, 

 the petaline cords of flowers are quite distinct from the 

 sepaline ; the six or ten, common to Monocotyledons and 

 Dicotyledons respectively, forming the fibro-vascular cylinder 

 in the pedicel. 



In all these and other cases the cords running up the 

 receptacular tube proceed originally from the petiole, and 

 are, so to say, even there intended for the appendages above. 

 Normally they retain their axial character, in being arranged 

 in a circle round the centre ; abnormally an appendicular 

 character can be revealed, by their becoming free and assum- 

 ing a foliaceous aspect, as in Roses or Fuchsia^ as mentioned 

 above ; so that as long as the tube is normal, i.e. a cylinder 

 of cortical parenchyma with cords, it is of the nature of axis, 

 and can develop extra phyllomes and even buds ; but abnor- 

 mally, the foliar nature, usually limited to the floral members 

 at the summit, is extended to a greater distance lower down 

 and the cords may now be converted into petioles, etc. 



Hence it appears undesirable to call it either a calyx tube 

 or axial ; for these terms would seem to bind one to consider 

 it permanently and in all cases as being either of one nature 

 or the other. The term receptacular tube is therefore best, 

 as it certainly " receives " or supports the whorls of the 

 flowers ; and Teratology clearly shows that it can be either 

 foliar (petiolar) or axial according to circumstances. 



* This reminds ono of the way in which stipular appendages of 

 Galium, etc., are supplied with coi'ds — not by their intercalation into 

 the common fibro-vascular cylinder of the stem, but — from a horizontal 

 circular zone of fibres Avliich connects the cords of the opposite leaves. 



