74 THE PHENOMENON OP 



uppermost and smallest, mostly only simply trifid, is 

 from 1 to 2 inches long. The hyposophyllary leaves, 

 following the last, and from whose axils arise the flowers 

 of the terminal spike, are from Ij to 1 line long. 



In conclusion, I will describe the phenomenon of in- 

 crease and decrease in the length and size of the leaves 

 upon the " stocks" of plants, in one more example, 

 where it presents itself in an uncommon grandeur, namely, 

 in the plantain (J/wsa).* I have not had an opportunity 

 to examine the subterraneous portion of the stem of this 

 plant, rising upward from a horizontal commencement; 

 when this comes above ground, as a young shoot, we at 

 first see a few cataphyllary leaves, which are probably 

 preceded by a considerable number underground. In 

 M. sapientum they are acuminated, triangular, shining, 

 dark-brown leaf-sheaths, which manifest the commence- 

 ment of the euphyllary formation by the commencement 

 of petiole- and blade-formation at the summits. Not 

 only the sheath but also the stalk and lamina now grow 

 longer, from leaf to leaf, until the well-known splendour 

 and magnitude of the plantain leaf are attained. The 

 complete development of the sprout of a plantain re- 

 quires with us several years, in its tropical home at most 

 two years; the outer leaves die away as the inner unfold. 

 All the leaves of a shoot which has not yet shot forth 

 into blossom, arise close to the ground on an abbreviated 

 stem, and, simply by the rolling of their sheaths round 

 one another, form a tall pseudo-stem, whence Richard 

 called Musa a bulbous plant. Consequently the length 

 of the leaves here determines the height of the entire 



* The following statements are derived from two species in the botanic 

 garden of this town (Freiburg), one large, with overhanging inflorescence 

 and numerous flowers in the axils of bracts, which appears to be Musa 

 sapientum, and a smaller, with erect inflorescence and beautiful rosy bracts 

 with only three flowers in each axil. In our garden this bears the name of 

 M. rubra. On this especially have I been able to investigate minutely the 

 distribution of the leaves upon the stem in reference to height. The 

 arrangement of the middle-leaves is ? in both, of the bracts iV In the 

 statements of tlie conditions of length of the two species I shall distinguisli 

 them as M. sapieutnm and M. rubra. 



