826 THE AMERICAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXXVI 11. 



The early growth of this plant from adult roots is usually 

 strong, but some plants have simpler leaves than characterize the 

 adult. Over a hundred young plants were examined, all in an 

 early condition of spring growth. Of these, the 

 ^ great majority had already the dissected ternate leaf, 

 typical of the plant. Between fifteen and twenty of 

 ^ ^ the smaller plants had the early leaves ternate, with- 

 out dissection of the lateral leaflets (Fig. 22, leaf 2). 

 \m^o\Poien- In this speclmcn the first two of the early leaves had 

 '!!s"^showxn ^^^^ character. In only one case in the hundred 

 cotyledons, c, oY moTQ examined was a simple leaf found as the first 

 seconc'r'nepi- thc caHy spHug growth. In this specimen (Fig. 

 "he'firs'r.m ^ ^he first leaf was simple, the second ternate, and 

 pie, the sec- the succccdlng ones of the typical dissected ternate 

 ond tnfoho- ^^j.^ j^.^^ shows the rarity of this stage both in 

 seedlings and spring growth, it being usually skipped 

 by acceleration. 



In the flowering there is usually little reduction, for the flower 

 is comparatively very small and not 

 confined to the end of the shoot. 

 The leaf from the axil of which the 

 flower comes, may be reduced to 

 simple ternate one, but in the speci- 

 mens examined no further reduction 



/ was found. In the late oi PotentUla canadensis. 2., show- 



*\ season's growth, how- I" simpk."°"^^ ^^^^ ^^""^ ''''' 

 escence is seen (Fig. 23). Plants were obtained in 

 A late November, when the leaves were nearly or 



*^'''.',on'sT..!,'".t '■l^"^^' where the last leaves were reduced very 

 ■■f /' V...', .-,, trccuKinl)-, to a simple ternate form, as shown in 

 'r!!n.''",M n, ^^'^^ 5- I' lguie 2^. \\\ ouc casc out of those of this 

 I'" late growth which were examined, there was a sim- 

 »iinpi,, due to pie leaf as the last leaf of the season's growth (N" 

 li/.i' TeTnll 2 3)- This leaf, the last of the senescent 



of jhe Krmving oncs of thc scason's growth, is comparable to the 

 simple leaf seen in the first stage in the direct 

 development of the seedling, and also to the first leaf of the 



