386 MOKPHOLOGY. 



Obs. 2. The following cases are possible here :. 



a. The floral axis, as terminal shoot, itself bears one seed-bud, either 

 without being distinguishable in the cavity of the germen as a special 

 organ (spermophore) (gemmicula basilaris, e. g. Zea Mays), or elongated 

 into the cavity as a free central spermophore (gemmula ex apice sper- 

 mophori centralis liberi filiformis pendula, e. g. Statice). 



b. The floral axis, more or less elongated into the cavity of the germen 

 as a central spermophore, bears the seed-buds as lateral buds (gemmula 

 angulo interno loculorum affixce, in part, and the spermophorum centrale 

 of descriptive botany, e. g. Ericacece) ; if there are not more seed-buds 

 than carpels, the former appear as axillary buds of the latter (e. g. Lava- 

 tera), otherwise they have no supporting leaves (e. g. Labiatce and 

 Boraginacece). If the borders of the carpels do not turn inward and 

 become blended with the spermophore, the latter stands free in the 

 midst of the cavity (spermophorum centrale liberum, e. g. in the 

 Primulacece). 



c. The floral axis is ramified in the cavity of the germen, und the 

 shoots (axillary shoots of the carpels) curve immediately from their 

 origin toward the side, and become blended with the margins of the two 

 carpels on their inner side, as parietal spermophores, bearing the seed- 

 buds as lateral buds (spermophora parietalia, e. g. in Resedacece and 

 Cruciferce). Here the spermophores may be so uniformly blended with 

 the carpels as to be indistinguishable as special organs, or they may 

 project by the seed-bud-bearing margin into the cavity, and even meet 

 in its axis, thus forming spurious central spermophores, or, lastly, may 

 expand as a naked lamella between the seed-buds, come in contact in the 

 interior of the cavity, here unite with one another, and form false 

 septa (e. g. in the Cruciferce). 



In the case of the superior germen, we find a great number of plants 

 in which the immediate origin of the seed-buds, as true axial organs, 

 follows at once from their position, and this is decisively confirmed by 

 the history of development. I here name only the following plants*, in 

 which I have myself observed the development, and for which I can 

 therefore answer: Amarantacece, Ardisiacece, Aponogeton, Arum., Am- 

 brosinia Bassii, Berberacece, Cyperacece, Chenopodiacece, Caulinia, Calla 

 palustris, Cryptocoryne spiralis, Caladii spec., Ericacece, Globularia, Ora- 

 minece, lllecebracece, Lemnacece, Linacece, Malvacece, Melianthus major, 

 Myricacece, Najas, Nyctaginacece, Orontium aquaticum, Primulacece, 

 Plumb aginacece, Polygonacece, Portulacece, Piperacece, Pistiacece, Poly- 

 gala, Plantago, Sauromatum guttatum, Trapa natans, Urtica, and some 

 others presently to be mentioned. Such a series cannot certainly be 

 explained as isolated exceptions, but allows us to conclude the existence 

 of such a wide prevalence of a law, that, moreover, presumption does 

 not speak in favour of the formation of the spermophore out of the 

 border of a leaf, but against it, especially when it is remembered that 

 many families, genera, and species allied to those named, admit of being 

 added to them by analogy, at first sight, and with certainty, in particular 

 all plants, without exception, with spermophorum centrale liberum or 

 gemmulis basilaribus. To this may be added the plants in which the 

 seed-bud is nothing in the world else than the axillary bud of the carpel- 

 lary leaf, of which I can name the following : Alisma, Dryadece, Euphor~ 



* In very uniform families I have always examined several genera ; in genera, a few 

 species. 



