35 
The inflorescence is terminal and racemiform. It passes 
the winter with its flowers well developed and protected by 
scale-leaves (Fig. 23 B); at the base of the terminal bud which 
encloses the inflorescence, from three to four sterile, true 
scale-leaves occur, then from two to three scale-leaves of a 
greener colour subtending vegetative buds, which are more 
vigorous the higher they occur on the shoot, and which have 
at their bases less well-developed foliage-leaves, not scale-leaves 
like those on the purely vegetative buds. On the fruit-bearing 
shoots these buds have developed into long shoots. When two 
vigorous shoots develop below the inflorescence the branching 
becomes dichotomous; if only the upper lateral shoot develops 
vigorously a sympodium is formed. After the above-mentioned 
scale-leaves three to five others (bracts) occur subtending 
flowers. Therefore foliage-leaves do not occur on the terminal 
flower-bearing shoot of the year, which may be distinguished 
as a terminal short shoot. 
The scale-leaves of the floral shoots have hollows within 
the leaves similar to those which occur in the foliage-leaves, 
but even larger, so that the two lamelle often arch away from 
each other considerably. Whether this increases their power 
of protecting the flower-buds and young shoots against cold and 
evaporation, still remains to be proved; it seems probable. 
Lateral shoots are also developed on those shoots which 
do not bear flowers, especially in their upper part; but gene- 
rally they are not so vigorous as the long shoots developed 
from the terminal, flower-bearing short shoot, the upper ones 
alone excepted which are situated immediately below the latter. 
The flowers have no bracteoles. 
The flowers as we have seen are fairly large even in the 
summer previous to the year in which they open, but are almost 
completely hidden by decaying leaves. The inflorescence is 
drooping and the throats of the corollas are turned down- 
wards. 
37 
