200 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [mance 
It is important at the outset to point out that in other orders of 
monocotyledons the problem would be less important and indeed les 
easy of solution, since there frequently occur in them species exhibit 
ing a complete transition from the bracts of the flower cluster to the 
leaves of the perianth. In the grasses, however, the true leaves a 
always distichous, while the sporophylls of the gynoecium as wells 
the androecium are in threes. The interpretation must mainly depend 
then upon the demonstration of the trimerous disposition of the lod 
cules on the one hand, or on their distichous arrangement on the 
other. 
Either interpretation may presuppose the suppression of whole 
whorls or of parts of whorls or of bracts; the union of parts of the 
same set; the adhesion of superimposed sets or superimposed leaves 
Hackel studied first the development of the lodicules on a considerable 
number of species, mostly European; second, he made a comparative 
study of mature lodicules; and third, he studied their anatomy. His 
conclusions are as follows: 
1. “The anterior lodicules are to be regarded as the lateral halves! 
a leaf alternating with the palet (Vorspelze), the middle part of 
only in rare cases develops either partly or entirely. 
2. The anterior lodicules, arising as they do from a single simple : 
rudiment (Anlage), experience in their growth various arrests 
the more rapid growth of neighboring organs; they develop eee 
on their posterior border outgrowths in the form of teeth and! 
which, taken together with the before mentioned conditions, lead some 
times to the lodicules appearing dissected into distinct and even oe 
superimposed lobes, whereby the appearance is sometimes pee 4 
of an aggregation of lodicules from separately inserted leaf : 
tures. ae. 
3. The anterior lodicules are independent of the palet, athe! a 
they sometimes unite mechanically with its margin, howere - | 
organic union; they too develop later; are inserted higher oot ‘ 
axis than the palet ; and in their tissue structure differ poe of 
The delicate bundles of the lodicule do not unite with 0% ; 
i0i : . Lobes and stipe 
palet but join the axillary bundle independently. + sila al 
structures of the border of the palet, which sometimes oe | 
never be confused with lodicules. a and prot 
4. The posterior lodicules of the Stipacee investigate og Ro 
ably in all grasses where they are present, are really later 4 
