DISPLACEMENT OF LEAVES. 87 
axis. There were several bracts beneath this flower 
disposed spirally in the 3 arrangement, all being empty, 
excepting the terminal one. In like manner, a head 
of flowers becomes sometimes converted into an umbel. 
Displacement of leaves—A cohesion of parts will some- 
times give rise to an apparent displacement, but the 
true nature of the malformation can, in general, be 
readily made out. 
Steinheil’ found a specimen of Salvia Verbenaca, the 
leaves of which presented very curious examples of 
displacement arismg from cohesion. Two of these 
leaves placed at the base of a branch were completely 
fused in their lower thirds, and divided into two dis- 
tinct lobes at the upper part; each of these lobes 
seemed to be as large as the hmb of an ordinary leaf. 
Above these was another very broad one, apparently 
entire, but evidently produced by a complete cohesion 
of two. This completely fused leaf alternated in 
position with the imperfectly fused one below it; the 
alternation is explained by supposing that the opposite 
leaves of each pair were directed one towards the 
other, and became fused, and that thus resulted the 
displacement. The dislocation of the organs took 
place in one direction for one pair of leaves, and in 
another direction for the other pair, hence the alter- 
nation. Thus, leaves normally opposite and decussate 
may, by fusion, become alternate. A similar instance 
occurred to the writer in Lysimachia vulgaris, wherein 
the changes arising from fusion and suppression of 
parts, &c., were very considerable; as far as the 
leaves were concerned they presented the following 
arrangement in succession from below upwards :—first 
verticillate, then opposite, then spirally alternate, lastly 
opposite.” The term “diremption” has sometimes 
been applied to cases where leaves are thus apparently 
drageed out of position. 
1 « Ann. Sc. Nat.,’ ser. 2, vol. iv, 1835, p. 143, tab. v. 
* See Kirschleger, ‘ Flora,’ 1844, p. 566 (Scabiosa). 
