MR. M. T. MASTERS ON AXILLARY PROLIFICATION IN FLOWERS. 487 



have the four or five horn-like processes referred to the receptacle of the flower, instead 

 of to the calyx or to the calyx-tube, as is done by DeCandoUe, Endlicher, and others. 

 M. Clos considers them to be processes of the upper portion of the flower-stalk, — a view 

 which he supports by citing the fact that the supplementary flower, with its bract, 

 is occasionally found on the top of one of the horn-like processes ; and I have myself 

 seen a small leaf in that situation. The figure given by MM. Seringe and Heyland * 

 shows the secondary flower as springing directly from the summit of one of the horn- 

 like processes ; and DeCandoUe says, " cornua calycina interdum flores accessaries ge- 

 runt " f. Reverting to Pallas's description, we find mention made of the ramenta, or 

 small scales which are occasionally found on the fruits of this plant ; and the super- 

 numerary flowers are stated to take then* origin from them (their axils ?). The figures 

 given by Pallas show that the adventitious growths have nothing to do with the true 

 sepals. 



Seringe and Heyland I seem to consider the ramenta or scales to be calycine lobes, as 

 they say, "Des aisselles de quelques lobes du calice naissent, pendant la maturation, des 

 fleurs bien conformees." 



Misled by these assertions, Moquin-Tandon § and others have considered the plant 

 to afi'ord an instance of true axillary prolification. It is evident, however, from what 

 has been stated, that the calyx is not aifected with prolification, but that the supplemental 

 bud arises either from the extremity of one of the horn-like processes of the flower- 

 stalk or from the axil of a small bract attached to its side (PL LIV. fig. 3). There are a few 

 flowers, however, in which the pedicel supporting the additional flower is united to the 

 side of the primary fruit for a considerable distance ; in these flowers, I have not been 

 able to ascertain precisely whether the supernumerary flower-stalk arises from the base 

 of the primary one, or is distinct from it, in the axil of the same bract. If it originates 

 from the stalk of the primary fruit, it affords an instance of lateral prolification, or 

 prolification afi'ecting the inflorescence. I have only to add on this point, that the 

 pedicel of the primary fruit is sometimes provided with two rather large-stalked leaves 

 near its base — a circumstance which would lead us to expect that the supplementary 

 flower takes its origin from the axil of one or other of them, and thus constitutes, as just 

 remarked, a case of lateral prolification (PI. LIV. fig. 3, b). 



Similar conclusions apply to the fruit of Pliiladelphus, in one species of which, P. sjj^- 

 ciosus, M. A. Gris has observed that the so-called calyx-tube was provided -nith two 

 small bracts, from the axil of one of which proceeded a small flower-bud 1| . 



As to the nature of the adventitious growth itself, but little need be said beyond what 

 has been already stated at the beginning of this paper, — the conditions presented being, 

 with few exceptions, of such a nature, as not to demand special comment in tliis place, 

 albeit some of them are curious as illustrations of morphological doctrines — such, for 

 instance, as the occurrence of tubers in the axils of the sepals of the Potato, mentioned 

 by Knight ^. Here the leaf-lmd shows itself in the form of a tuber ; and the true 

 nature of the latter organ is thereby elucidated. 



* Bull. Bot. No. 1, p. 18. t ProJromus, vol. iii. p. 4.52. % Op. cit. 



§ Terat. Vegct. p. 373. || Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 1858, p. 331. % Proc. Ilort. Soc. vol. i. p. 39, fig. 2. 



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