176 ALTERATION OF POSITION. 
pointed than the central one; like it they are provided 
with hairs, but the hairs, in this case, are turned away 
from the centre of the plant. The cavity of the side 
lobes is generally empty, but that of the central lobe 
is occupied by a very slender stalk, which is apparently 
the termination of the midrib, but which is bent inwards 
at an acute angle, so as to occupy the hollow space 
(figs. 90-91). On this slender axis are developed two 
florets, more or less imperfect in their structure. Only 
one of the florets that I have seen contained a perfect 
ovary. The tips of the lateral lobes of the palez in 
the primary flower are sometimes extended into a long 
awn. <A similar awn may also be occasionally found 
on the tips of the pales of the rudimentary florets. 
The occurrence of an adventitious axial structure with 
rudimentary flowers has been adduced in support of 
the opinion that the lower palea is, at least so far as 
its midrib is concerned, an axial rather than a foliar 
structure, but in the present uncertain state of our 
knowledge as to the morphology of grasses it is 
hazardous to risk any explanation founded on so ex- 
ceptional a case as that of the Nepaul barley.’ 
Production of flower-buds in place of leaf-buds— Under natu- 
ral circumstances this does not appear to be of so 
common occurrence as the change above alluded to, 
but by the art of the gardener the change is often 
effected. In rhododendrons and in peach trees and 
roses I have met with this change occurring without 
human agency. ‘The means adopted by the gardener 
are such as check the luxuriance of the leaf-shoots,* 
and this is effected in various ways, as by continuous 
**pinchine”’ or rer.oval of the leaf-buds, by pruning, 
ringing the bark, confining the roots, limiting the 
' See also Lindley, ‘ Veg. Kingd.,’ p. 109 et 116a, where the views of 
Raspail, R. Brown, Mohl, Henslow, and others, are discussed. 
? It has been observed that if a plant is supplied with copious nourish- 
ment the flowering-period is delayed ; but that moderate or even scanty 
nourishment accelerates it. Goethe, ‘Metam.,’ § 30. See also Wolff, 
‘Theoria Generationis,’ 1759; Linn. ‘ Prolepsis,’ §§ 3 and 10. 
