42 
THE BRANCHES 
deciding whether a doubtful structure is of “leaf” or “stem” 
nature, is by noticing whether it subtends an axil or stands 
in one itself. In Selaginella and Lycopodium the branching 
has little relation to the leaves. The number of branches 
arising close together is usually small and most commonly 
only one arises at one level. 
Other branches than the usual one, arising in the same place, are 
called accessory ; they may be collateral (side by side in the same axil) 
as in species of Acer, Salix, &c., or serial (one above the other) as in 
Calycanthus, Gleditschia, Cercis, Robinia, Colletia, Syringa, Aristolochia, 
Fuchsia, &c. 
Concrescence (p. 30) or adnation is common in shoots. 
The most simple case is where a leaf is ‘ adnate J to its own 
axillary shoot, so that the latter appears to spring from the 
main stem without reference to any leaf, and the leaf looks 
as if it belonged to the branch and not to the original stem. 
A common case is that the axillary shoot is adnate for a 
greater or less distance to the main shoot from which it 
springs ; e.g. in Anthurium and other Araceae, Cyperaceae, 
Potamogetonaceae (e.g. Zostera), Solanaceae, Cuphea, Ascle- 
pias, &c. Some of these only show the phenomenon in the 
floral portion of the shoot. 
Frequently a plant has branches of two kinds — long and 
short shoots or shoots of unlimited and limited growth. The 
former grow indefinitely, whereas the latter remain short, 
often resembling tufts of leaves. See Coniferae, Pinus, 
Berberis, Spergula, Cactaceae, &c. 
The branch buds formed near the apex of a stem do not 
always develope at once. In perennials at any rate, many 
of them usually remain as dormant buds , but may start into 
active growth if the others are killed or injured. The 
branches that appear later in life from the lower parts of 
stems are sometimes formed from dormant buds, but often 
are adventitious, developed from new buds formed without 
reference to the old leaf-axils. 
Lateral branching is generally of two types, the mono- 
podium and the sympodium. In the former, e.g. Pinus and 
other Coniferae, the same growing point continues in a 
straight line from year to year and forms branches in regular 
succession, which do not overtop the main axis. This type 
is common in herbs with erect stems. The sympodium is 
