PE L I F E HAT ION. 



which were adverse for that function, proceeded to 

 form vegetative buds instead ; a certain amount of 

 flower- and fruit-forming substance had, however, 

 accumulated, and became stored up in the axis below 

 the buds. 



In many abnormal pears the sepals of the would-be 

 flower may show four distinct changes : increase in 

 number, displacement downwards (on the proliferating 

 axis within the "pear"), phyllody, and dialysis of the 

 basal fleshy calyx-tube. The example figured in the 

 6 Gardeners' Chronicle ' probably represents merely a 

 very extreme form of proliferation of the " fruit " in 

 which the sepals have become greatly displaced, both 

 vertically and horizontally, exposing the central pro- 

 liferating axis, and in which most have become folia- 

 ceous, some bearing vegetative shoots in their axils. 

 This will quite well explain the bizarre structure. 



That the sepals take part in the construction of the 

 normal pome-fruit seems indicated by the following 

 facts : that the middle and peripheral tissues of the 

 fruit are differently constituted ; that the vascular 

 bundles of the central portion and those of the calyx 

 form separate strands below, while those intended for 

 the petals branch off higher up from the calyx-strands ; 

 that certain varieties of apple exhibit five distinct ribs 

 on the fruit ; and lastly, that the quite similar pears 

 of the upper storeys are often split up into separate 

 fleshy portions, each clearly representing the basal 

 continuation of the withered foliar organ above, which 

 is particularly well shown by an abnormality figured 

 in the 6 Gardeners' Chronicle.' There was a case seen 

 in which the pear was represented solely by two or 

 three tiny swollen bases of calyx-petioles, the central 

 axis being quite undeveloped. 



There was sent to Kew a seedless apple from Colo- 

 rado exhibiting an abnormal structure which goes a 

 long way to prove the truth of the theory that the 

 pome-fruit is in reality a calyx-tube. Alternating with 

 the sepals at the top of this apple were five tiny partial 



