948 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



supposition of the shoot being either an adventitious outgrowth of the 

 ovule, or that this latter is itself of axial nature and has given rise by 

 proliferation to the shoot ; in fact, this latter is impossible. 



On closely examining this exceedingly minute enclosed shoot, there 

 was found, lying in a more or less distorted condition, amongst the small 

 foliar organs near the top of the shoot, the probable author and cause of 



Fig. 218. — Capitulum almost entirely composed of Virescent Carpels; 

 Lioulate Corolla of Ray seen en one Place. 



the abnormalities in these flowers, viz. the annulate body of a Phytoptus 

 (fig. 211, c, p), having a length, in its distorted state, of about 45-50/x (the 

 length of a normal, fully extended creature being about 100/i) (fig. 210, q). 

 These excessively minute animals probably entered the flowers during a 

 very young condition of the bud stage. This must necessarily follow from 

 what we know of the character of the various virescent organs of the 



