1895.] Briefer Articles. 79 
the scales representing the leaves at this point, as shown in the figure 
(figs. 6, c, 6, @). It was observed that these rootlets began to grow as 
soon as the branches reached the shade, but often before they touched 
the ground. At the very tip of the descending branches, where the 
internodes were the most shortened, all of the nodes developed roots, 
and in case these reached the earth the tips of the braaches were soon 
rooted fast, and that leverage was secured which enabled the growing 
tips to penetrate the soil. 
Soon after securing a firm hold in the soil, the tip turns rapidly up- 
wards and forms a scaly winter bud. About four to eight inches be- 
hind the rooting end of the branch, the stem is usually very brittle, 
breaking readily when cattle or other large animals pass through the 
raspberry bushes, thus giving rise to independent plants. 
II. Notes on superposed buds and leaf scars. 1. Rubus villosus.—The 
blackberry presents excellent cases of superposed buds, the upper be- 
ing the older and stronger. Three are quite common. Thecommon 
raspberry also shows superposed buds. 
2. Cephalanthus occidentalis. In the button-bush, the tips of almost 
all branches were terminated by inflorescences, a part of which had 
never developed their flowers. The tew tips not thus terminated 
showed shriveled up leaves and ends of branches, dying back before 
the arrival of frost. The general growth of the stem is therefore sym- 
podial. The bush has commonly two or three superposed buds in 
the axils of the leaves. In the autumn the tip of the upper bud is 
often not visible, but its position is indicated by a low protuberance 
where the tip of the bud presses up the epidermis of the bark (figs. 1, 
a,4). When the bud penetrates the epidermis, it appears only as a 
very tiny point. The lower one or two buds are not visible usually on 
the exterior of the bark at this time of the year, being hidden beneath 
the leaf scar. The fibrovascular bundles form a semi-lunate figure in 
the scar, entering the same obliquely and usually leaving a vertical 
median partition above; the general appearance of the scar is, how- 
€ver, quite variable (figs. 1, c-g). The leaves often occur in whorls of 
three. The pith is lightly tinged with brown. 
3. Llex verticillata (figs. 2,a-c). Three or four buds, and consequently 
aS many leaves, are clustered around the larger terminal bud of the 
branch. The leaves with short and rather few serrations are arranged 
on the two-fifths phyllotaxy. The berries are bright red, several 
Seeded, and occur in a sort of raceme. The leaf scar with a raised 
semi-circular fascicle of fibrovascular cells entering the scar obliquely, 
are characteristic. Occasionally superposed buds are observed. 
4. Euonymus atropurpureus.—Branches round, greenish tinged with 
