ORGANS AND SYSTEMS OF ORGANS. 



181 



with the aid of EICHLER'S theoretical figures (107 and 108), used to 

 illustrate the condition of things as they occur in Datura Stra- 

 monium. A normal development of bracts and axillary products 

 would produce a structure similar to that shown in Fig. 108. The 

 actual appearance, however, we find to be as shown in Fig. 107. 

 Only in the youngest shoots (III) are the conditions normal, at 

 least for the leaves a" and ft". Leaf ft', Fig. 107, although a bract 

 of III, has been raised from its normal position, shown in Fig. 108. 

 Every bract of the entire inflorescence thus shifts position as further 

 shown by a and ft ; normally they should have the same position 

 relatively to &, as a" and ft" have to ft' . The axes I, II, etc., ter- 

 minate in flowers. 



A. INFLORESCENCE. 



Branching in the hypsophyllary region, the terminal branches 

 bearing few or several flowers, occurs more frequently than a single 

 floral axis with a single terminal flower. Such branching (with or 



\ 



\ 



\ 



FIG. 109. 



without hypsophyllary leaves), therefore, represents more than one 

 flower, and is known as the inflorescence. We distinguish the fol- 



