HEATHER 15 



again vegetative shoots in the leaf axils. Passing back from 

 the shoot of the current year to the portion produced in the 

 preceding season, we find that the stem has thickened and become 

 covered with cork and the leaves have withered. The middle 

 region of this portion of the shoot, from which the flowers have 

 fallen, appears bare, but towards its base the scattered vegetative 

 branches persist, while the upper portion of last year's growth 

 bears crowded vegetative branches, many of which are growing 

 on and bear flowers like the main shoot. Passing farther back 

 to the region of the shoot produced in the season before last, we 

 find the stem thicker and practically bare. Evidently the main 

 shoots grow on year after year, and bear in the axils of their 

 leaves some branches which persist and grow, but for the most 

 part short shoots of limited duration. The short shoots of the 

 middle region of each year's growth bear the flowers. 



The flowers have been seen to stand either singly in the leaf 

 axils or on short shoots which bear a number of flowers. They 

 spring all round the shoot, but usually bend so that all face to one 

 side. The flower-stalk bears several pairs of small green leaves 

 or bracts below the calyx. There are first two small bracts on 

 the stalk, and then just below the flower itself two pairs of smaller 

 green leaves without appendages. These might readily be mis- 

 taken for the calyx. 



The true calyx is, however, coloured, and consists of four 

 relatively large concave sepals of a pink colour. Within the 

 calyx, which forms the most conspicuous part of the flower, is 

 the corolla, composed of four petals alternating with the sepals. 

 These are joined for some distance at the base, but are free above. 

 Looking into the flower we see the projecting style, and around 

 it the brown anthers. The eight stamens spring from below the 

 ovary, just above the insertion of the corolla. The delicate fila- 

 ment curves round the side of the ovary and brings the anther 

 close to the style. From the base of each anther spring two 

 pointed white appendages, which suggest a comparison with the 

 appendages at the base of the vegetative leaves. These appen- 

 dages diverge outwards so that their tips touch the inside of the 

 corolla-tube. The anther opens by long slit-like pores extending 

 from the summit. The pistil consists of the ovary, which has 



