190r] ERIOCAULON DECANGULARE 29 
contrast with the proper leaf, the leaf of the floral shoot has a 
long tubular sheath and a very short blade, and this leaf is by 
some authors considered as representing the prophyllum of the 
floral shoot. No other leaf is developed on this shoot, but its 
true position in relation to the mother axis cannot be ascertained, 
since the scape becomes twisted during its growth and forces 
the leaf away from its natural position. Thus the little blade 
may sometimes turn to the side or to the front, instead of turn- 
ing its dorsal face towards the main axis, as is the normal posi- 
tion of such a prophyllum. As will be shown later, the structure 
of this leaf is very different from that of prophylla as a rule, 
though some analogous cases do exist in other orders, where a 
similarly developed leaf unquestionably represents a true prophy]- 
lum. Attention might be called especially to the clado-prophyl- 
lum in the inflorescence of certain Cyperacee, as for example, 
Scirpus silvaticus, S. polyphyllus, Cyperus phymatodes, C. strigosus, 
and many others. So far, there is no very strong objection to 
considering the leaf of Eriocaulon as a prophyllum, even if its 
position cannot be determined accurately. There is no very 
Pronounced difference between these two kinds of leaves, but 
they will be treated separately in order that the view of their 
general structure may be made as distinct as possible. 
The proper leaf, in sections taken from the middle of the 
blade, shows a large celled epidermis on both surfaces, especially 
On the upper. There is a thin, but visible cuticle, which shows 
minute wrinklings on the lower surface, but is smooth on the 
upper. None of the epidermal cells are arranged so as to form 
longitudinal rows of bulliform cells, such as are so well known 
in many genera of Cyperacee and Graminez, where they espe- 
cially abound above the keel of the blade or between some of 
the larger mestome bundles. The cells in Eriocaulon are very 
large on the upper face, but decrease very gradually in size from 
the middle towards the margin, the outermost part of which is 
composed only of the two strata of epidermis corresponding to 
the two leaf surfaces. Viewed en face the radial cell walls are 
perfectly straight on both surfaces, and the outer cell wall of 
