42 



The Museum Gazette 



ON OUTGROWTHS AND APPENDAGES. 



(Part of a Museum Lecture.) 



Let us draw a clear distinction between " Appendages" and 

 " Outgrowths." The prickles which are formed on the branch 

 of a rose are appendages ; they may be detached without 

 really breaking any part of the bush. The spines which grow 

 on the blackthorn are outgrowths, and cannot be so detached. 

 I wish that some better word than " appendages" could be 

 found, for it seems almost to imply insignificance, and many 

 of the appendages to plants are of the utmost importance. 

 Still, it is true of them all that they may be removed and yet 

 leave the plant, as a plant, complete, and many or most of 

 them have only a transitory life, which does not by any 

 means equal that of the plant itself. They are like the 

 luncheon basket at the summer day's ramble, not absolutely 

 essential, but very conducive to perfection. Now most forms 

 of leaf, flower, fruit and prickle are in this sense merely 

 appendages. From the very earliest stages of their forma- 

 tion arrangements exist for their separation, in whole or part, 

 from the plants on which they are produced. You will see 

 that I am cautious in my terms, and say in part or in whole, 

 for in truth some appendages never are detached as wholes, 

 and very great variety exists in the ways in which they are 

 dealt with. For the most part they are susceptible of death, 

 and have their fixed duration of life quite independently of 

 the plant which bears them. In many this independent 

 death is the cause of their being cast ofT. In some instances, 

 however, it is not death, nor even sickness, but the fulness 

 of life and the attainment of adult age which causes them to 

 leave the parental home. I hold in my hand an oak twig 

 with two empty acorn cups. The acorns having attained 

 maturity, have fallen out. Shall we say they have detached 



