MR. II. T. MASTERS ON AXILLARY PROLTFICATION IN FLOWERS. 487 
have the four or five horn-like processes referred to the receptacle of the flower, instead 
of to the calyx or to the calyx-tube, as is done hy DeCandolle, Undlicher, and others. 
M. Clos considers them to be processes of the upp- r portion of t lie flower-stalk, — a view 
which he supports hy citing the fact that the supplementary flower, with its bract, 
is occasionally found on the top of one of the horn-like pro< >ses; and I have myself 
seen a small leaf in that situation. The figure given hy MM. Scringe and Key land* 
shows the secondary flower as springing directly from the summit of one of the horn- 
like processes ; and DeCandolle says, " cornua calycina interdum flores accessarios ge- 
runt" f. Reverting to Pallas' s description, we find mention made of the ramenta, or 
small scales which are occasionally found on the fruits of this plant; and the super- 
numerary flowers are stated to take their origin from them (their axils?). The figures 
given hy Pallas show that the adventitious growths have nothing to do with the true 
sepals. 
Seringe and Ileyland J seem to consider the ramenta or scales to ho calycine lobes, as 
they say, "Des aisselles de quelques lobes du calice naissent, pendant la maturation, des 
fleurs hien conformees." 
Misled by these assertions, Moquin-Tandon § and others have considered the plant 
to afford an instance of true axillary prolification. It is evident, however, from what 
has been stated, that the calyx is not affected with prolification, but t hat the ropplemcntal 
bud arises either from the extremity of one of the horn-like processes of the flower- 
stalk or from the axil of a small bract attached to its side (PL LIV. fig. 3). There are a few 
flowers, however, in which the pedicel supporting the additional flower is united to the 
side of the primary fruit for a considerable distance ; in these flowers, I have not been 
able to ascertain precisely whether the supernumerary flower-stalk ansa from the 
of the primary one, or is distinct from it, in the axil of the same bract - - 
from the stalk of the primary fruit, it affords an instance of lateral prolification or 
prolification affecting the inflorescence. I have only to add on this point that the 
pedicel of the primary fruit is sometimes provided with two rather large-stalked leaves 
near its base-a circumstance which would lead us to expect that the supplementary 
flower takes its origin from the axil of one or other of them, and thus constitutes, as just 
Hit — 
remarked, a ease of lateral prolification (PL LIV. fig. 3, ft) 
Similar conclusions apply to the fruit of FWadelpk*,, m one species of whe £ 
ciosus, M. A. Oris has observed that the so-called calyx-tube was provided with two 
small bracts, from the axil of one of which proceeded a small flower-bud |[. 
As to the nature of the adventitious growth itself, but little need be said beyond what 
, i i •, 2. xi i • ♦ « „e f Vii'c Tvmer —the conditions presented bein 
has been already stated at the beginning of his paper the 
with few exceptions, of such a «^~^^XS^ doctrines-such, for 
albeit some of them are curious as illustrations of morpno ogica ^ ^ 
instance, as the occurrence of tubers in the axils of the sepals of the Potato 
by Knight * Here the leaf-bud shows itself in the form of a tubei , and the t 
nature of the latter organ is thereby elucidated 
oned 
• Ball. Bot. No. I, p. 18. f 
: 
§ 
li Bull. Soc. Bot. W. 1858, p. 331. f Proc. Hort. Soc. vol. i p. 39, &* 2 
3 
VOL. XXIII. 
