BRANCH SYSTEM S3 



CHAPTER IX 



BRANCH SYSTEM 



Stems of most plants that we see afound us are 

 branched, as Banyan, Mango. Some stems, how- 

 ever, are not branched, as Cocoanut-palm, Date-palm, 

 &c. We have learned that the stem grows in length 

 by the growth of the terminal bud, and branches by 

 the growth of the lateral or axillary buds, and that 

 it remains unbranched owing to the non-development 

 of the axillary buds. That this is so is proved by the 

 fact that an unbranched stem like that of the Date- 

 palm is occasionally seen with two or more branches 

 near its apex, which are no doubt due to abnormal 

 growth of axillary buds, which ordinarily remain dor- 

 mant. Such abnormal growths, in fact abnormal 

 growths of any kind, are known as monstrous growths 



or MONSTROSITIES. 



In the kind of branching mentioned above, the 

 plumule or primary bud of the embryo develops into 

 the primary axis or stem, which continues to grow in 

 length "by the growth of the bud at its apex, that is, 

 the terminal bud. The axillary buds on the sides 

 of the primary stem similarly develop into secondary 

 axes or branches, each of which grows in length by 

 the development of its own terminal bud. The secon- 

 dary branches may again branch similarly into tertiary 

 branches, and so on. Such a system of branching is 

 known as racemose. It is also called monopodial, 

 because the main axis is developed from one single 

 bud or foot (podium), on which stand the lateral 

 axes or branches. This is the most common form of 

 branching in Phanerogams. In trees, during subse- 

 quent growth, the branches often grow so enormously 



