54 MORPHOLOGY 



that the distinction between the primary axis and its 

 branches is wholly lost, excepting so far that their 

 trunks still represent the basal portion of the primary 

 axis. Racemose branching is also the rule in the 

 root and leaves of Phanerogams. 



In some cases, as in many Cryptogams, the ter- 

 minal bud of the stem divides into two branches, 

 each of which grows equally, and the terminal bud 

 of each of the two branches again divides in its turn 

 into two branches, and so on. Such a system of 

 branching is known as dichoto- 

 Mous (see fig. 54). Similarly, 

 though rarely, the branching may 



be TRICHOTOMOUS. 



In some cases the terminal bud 



of an axis or stem soon ceases to 



Fig.54.-Diagramof grow in length, and the lateral 



True Dichotomy buds immediately below it develop 



into strong branches or secondary 



axes. The terminal buds of these branches or 



secondary axes in their turn soon cease to grow in 



length, and lateral buds immediately below them 



develop into branches or tertiary axes, and so on. 



Such a system of branching is described as cymose. 



In cymose branching where two lateral buds only 



are developed, the branching takes the external form 



of dichotomy, but is not true dichotomy, inasmuch 



as the branches do not arise from the bipartition of 



the terminal buds. Such apparently dichotomous 



branching is therefore known as false dichotomy or 



DiCHASiUM (fig. 55, a). Similarly, there may be false 



trichotomy or trichasium. Katchampa {Plumeria 



acutifoHa), karancha(Car«>i-« Carandas), and krishna- 



kali or Marvel of Peru are good examples of false 



dichotomy; and karabi {Nerium odorum) is a good 



