GENESIS. 



227 



structure of the sexual axis, affords corroborative evidence : 

 giving very much the impression, as it does, of an aborted 

 sexless axis. Besides lacking those internodes which the 

 leaf-bearing axis commonly possesses, the flowering axis 

 differs by the absence of rudimentary lateral axes. In a leaf- 

 bearing axis, the axil of every leaf usually contains a small 

 bud, which may or may not develop into a lateral axis ; 

 but though the petals of a flower are homologous with leaves, 

 they do not bear homologous buds at their bases. Ordinarily, 

 too, the foliar appendages of sexual axes, are much smaller 

 than those of sexless ones — the stamens and pistils especially, 

 which are the last formed, being extremely dwarfed ; and 

 there is even reason for thinking that the absence of chloro- 

 phyll from the parts of fructification, is a fact of like mean- 

 ing. Moreover, the formation of the seed-vessel appears 

 to be a direct consequence of arrested nutrition. If a 

 gloved-finger be taken to represent a growing shoot, 

 (the finger standing for the core of the shoot, and the 

 glove for the cambium-layer, in which the process of 

 growth takes place) ; and if it be supposed that there is a 

 diminished supply of material for growth ; then, it seems 

 a fair inference, that growth will first cease at the apex of 

 the cambium-layer, represented by the end of the glove- 

 finger ; and supposing growth to continue in those parts 

 of the cambium-layer that are nearer to the supply of nutri- 

 ment, their further longitudinal extension will lead to the 

 formation of a cavity at the extremity of the shoot, like that 

 which results in a glove-finger when the finger is partially 

 withdrawn and the glove sticks to its end. Whence it seems, 



with bract, but much smaller than the other ; corolla large but cleft along the top ; 

 six stamens with anthers, pistil, and seed-vessel. 3rd flower, large ; six-cleft 

 calyx, cleft corolla, with six stamens, pistil, and seed-vessel, with a second pistil 

 half unfolded at its apex. 4th flower, large ; divided along the top, six stamens. 

 5th flower, large ; corolla divided into three parts, six stamens. 6th flower, 

 large ; corolla cleft, calyx six- deft, the rest of the flower normal. 7th, and all suc« 

 eeeding flowers, normal. 



