Miscellaneous. 315 



intervening nodes had tendrils uitliout axillary huds. Occasionally, 

 but very rarely, two successive nodes would have axillary buds, in 

 which case the lower one would be smaller, and have also a small 

 tendril on the opposite side. Ampelojjsis Veitchii had the same 

 character. He had attempted to propagate this by using nodes from 

 which the tendrils pushed as single bud-cuttings, but failed to get 

 any development from the axils. He believed they had not a trace 

 of a bud in even the most rudimentary state. It had been said, in 

 Dar-^-in's paper on motion in tendi'ils, that the gland on the end of 

 the tendril did not develope itself until it approached the object it 

 was to cling to. In Ampelopsis Veitchii they developed before this, 

 in the shape of small globes, looking like rudiments of the same 

 flower which ultimately appeared. In fact, tendrils here were in- 

 cipient flower-branches, as any one could see by tracing the common 

 Ampelopsis hederacea up to its final flowering condition, when, the 

 axial growth ending in a terminal bud, instead of the usual lateral 

 tendril, it seemed to erect itself and bear flowers. It would seem 

 as if it were only the elongation of the axis, demanding and draw- 

 ing to itself nutriment which woidd otherwise go into the tendril, 

 which made it a tendril, and not a flower-shoot. 



He did not, however, intend at this time to attempt any explana- 

 tion of these series of observations. He thought there was nothing 

 in any known law of phyllotaxis which would explain them, and 

 that by following them up matters of much interest to botany 

 might be evolved. But, as he might have more to say about it 

 some day, and winter was approaching, he thought to call the atten- 

 tion of the Academy to the facts, so that those interested might 

 examine them for themselves before the fi'ost destroyed the speci- 

 mens. — Proc. Acad. Kat. Sc. Philad. Sept. 20, 1870. 



On the Flowers of Aralia spinosa, L., and Hedera helix, L. 

 By Thomas Meehan. 



The study of Aralia spinosa, L., affords some interesting facts 

 which do not seem to have attracted the attention of other observers. 



In Dr. Gray's indispensable ' Manual of Botany,' it is said to be 

 " more or less polygamous." I have had many specimens under my 

 daily observation this season, from the earliest opening till the last 

 blossom appeared, and find that it is much more nearlv monoecious 

 than the above quotation would imply. 



There are three different sets of flowers, corresponding to the 

 thrice-compounded branchlets of the large panicle. When the flower- 

 scape elongates, it seems suddenly arrested at a given point, and a 

 very strong lunbel of female flowers appears at the apex. A great 

 number of secondary branches appear along this main one, and they 

 also suddenly terminate each with an umbel of female flowers. 

 From these secondary branches a third series appear; and these 

 flowers are well filled with anthers that are abundantly poUiniferous. 

 The female organs of these flowers of the third class, however, are 

 defective, as only a few bear capsules, and in these a large portion of 

 the seeds have no embryos. The polygamous character is confined 



