PROLIFERATION. 



5 



stamens proper consist of sessile anthers at the apex 

 of the whole. 



In other cases this author found that the axillary 

 product of the bract in this position was, not a stamen, 

 but an inflorescence, the main axis of which terminated 

 in a cyathium ; in the axil of a leaf borne by this axis 

 was a "stamen"; this "stamen" in its turn bore two 

 leaves, in the axil of the lower of which was a second 

 " stamen " bearing a leaf. This whole structure, repre- 

 senting a proliferated male flower, is of the greatest 

 interest and importance, for it may be regarded as a 

 reproduction of the structure (or part of it) of the 

 original cyme of male flowers from which each of the 

 five cymes of male flowers in the normal cyathium has 

 been derived by means of excessive reduction, consisting 

 of complete suppression of the internodes and elimina- 

 tion of the bracts.* In Anfliostema the normal in- 

 florescence is less congested than in Eiqjltorhia, and 

 the bracts of the scorpioid cymes are present and 

 well developed. 



In the common larch there was observed a long- 

 drawn-out female cone due to the great development 

 of the internodes between the scales. The structure 

 was barely recognizable as a cone ; it was caused by 

 an excessive flow of nourishment induced by the 

 presence of the insect Tiirips laricis. 



Vegetative proliferation of the inflorescence is very 

 common. For example, in the larch it may assume 

 considerable dimensions, bearing numbers of ordinary 

 needles above the cone proper, in which case the cone 

 itself is correspondingly reduced and abortive (PI. 

 XXVII, fig. 1). 



The phenomenon is extremely common in the female 

 •cones of Oryptomeria japonica. 



In Gephalotaxus the biovulate " flowers " are grouped 

 in an inflorescence in the axils of scale-leaves. This 

 primary axis of the inflorescence sometimes proliferates, 

 bearing foliage-leaves and a terminal bud. 



* These are still sometimes present in the form of small scales. 



