158 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



As an illustration of an ordinary stem, let us take that of the Field Pea 

 {LathyriLS pratensis). The stem is sub-quadrangular. (Fig. 88.) A 

 section of an internode near a leaf shows three cords departing from the 

 cylinder. (Fig. 89.) These enter the petiole, and the stipular branches 

 are given off from the lateral petiolar cords, as shown in fig. 90. The 

 two cylinders are now complete, the one on the left belongs to the 

 axillary bud, that on the right is continued up the next internode. 



Now, though a cord is given off to each leaf in the fasciated stem of 

 the Cockscomb (figs. 85, 86), the " branch cylinders," as we may call them, 

 required for axillary buds, are not, or rarely, formed ; so that, as already 

 mentioned, the cords all run parallel up the stem. 



Axillary buds are often wanting in normal shoots ; in that case only 

 one or more cords pass into the leaf, none forming a supply for the 

 axillary bud. The central cylinder at once closes up. This may be seen 

 in a spring shoot of Lilac, which carries a number of pairs of leaf-biades 

 as bud-scales. In none of these is any axillary bud formed at all. 



Fig. 91. — Vertical section of "multi- Fig. 92. —Regular corolla of Foxglove, 



form " Pear. with 7 petals, due to radial chorisis. 



Fasciated Peduncles. — Though the main stem of a plant as well as 

 the floral peduncles may be fasciated, one or other only may be so. 

 Thus, in Cockscombs there is no fasciation at the base of the main stem, 

 but much above, in the floral region. {Cf. fig. 8-4 vdth figs. 85 and 86.) 

 Conversely, a fasciated peduncle of a Tulip gave rise to four separate 

 flowers on non-fasciated pedicels. 



As every floral pedicel is normally supplied with a small ring or 

 definite number (say five) of cords, the multiplication of cauline cords 

 w^hich occurs in a fasciated peduncle pro\'ides, so to say, for many more 

 flowers and bracts than would normally be borne by the non-fasciated 

 peduncle. 



The^ consequence is that a great increase often takes place in the 

 number of perfect flowers and bracts. The Coxscomb and fasciated 

 peduncles of Primroses, Cowslips, Hyacinths, &c., may be mentioned as 

 frequently bearing such an increased number of ordinary flowers. 



Multifold Pears. — Another illustration of the result of branching 



