68 THE PHENOMENON OF 



hypsophyllary-leaves. This may be observed especially 

 in calices with right-handed overlapping reaching down 

 as far as the base. That the breadth of this decreases 

 again in the region of the petals and stamens, might even 

 be deduced from the fact, that scarcely any right-handed 

 (eutopic) overlapping occur, since the overlappings do 

 not proceed from the base, but only arise from the over- 

 lapping of the petals subsequently expanding above. The 

 stamens, as a general rule, never overlap, and the great 

 number of them which stand in a circle in many poly- 

 androus flowers, shows the narrowness of their bases. 

 The bases of the carpels are not expanded transversely or 

 overlapping, it is true, but their smaller number, in the 

 majority of cases, as well as their close approximation, 

 nevertheless testifies to the greater thickness of their 

 bases. The decreasing breadth of the base in the leaf- 

 formations of the " stock" may be made clearer by the 

 mention of a few more examples. 



Tulipa. — The bulb exhibits 3 — 4,completely embracing, 

 tubularly closed, cataphyllary leaves, followed by 3 — 4 

 euphyllary leaves on the stalk which shoots up, the 

 lowest of the latter being still amplexicaul and closed 

 round at the bottom, the succeeding embracing in a 

 gradually decreasing extent \ to \. 



Convallaria Folygonatum. — The cataphyllary leaves on 

 the horizontal rhizome completely embracing, tlae margins 

 even overlapping. The first of the euphyllary leaves 

 occurring on the stem rising above ground embraces 

 almost completely, about fjths ; the second | or | ; all the 

 following |. 



Veratrum {nigncni). — The subterraneous cataphyllary 

 leaves, which are best seen in autumn on the still unde- 

 veloped central buds of young " stocks," or in the lateral 

 buds of older " stocks," are embracing, and form a cone 

 or cup, closed completely, with the exception of a small, 

 scarcely perceptible slit at the upper end, this cap being 

 broken through above in the subsequent unfolding of the 

 bud. The first six or seven euphyllary leaves have long 



