32 
BULLETIN OF THE LABORATORIES 
B. Oj Inflorescences and Flowers. 
I. Inflorescences. — Lippia lanceolata . — A peduncle, bearing 
a head of flowers, is superposed to a tiny bud, which, however, does 
not always appear. Dianthera Americana presents the same features. 
Delphiniiini consolida. — Both the flowers composing the terminal ra- 
cemes and the upper branches may be found late in the season super- 
posed to axillary buds. The buds found along the lower parts of the 
racemes, and most of those in the leaf axils generally develop and 
flower before the season closes. Lythrum alatuin. — Flowers said 
by Gray (Man. 183) to be solitary in the axils of the upper leaves. 
Occasionally, however, they are arranged in cymes of two or three 
flowers each. In this case two cymes of an equal number of flowers 
may be superposed to one another ; or the lower cyme may be reduced 
to two or even one flower ; single flowers are also found superposed to 
one another. The place of the lowest flower may even be supplied 
by a leaf branch which then grows vigorously and bears flowers in its 
turn — thus a small flower may be seen superposed to a vigorous branch. 
Branches in this situation occur irregularly along the flower-bearing 
axes of vigorous plants. Chelidoniiim niajiis (10). — The main 
stem here frequently terminates in an umbel of flowers. The bud 
first produced also develops into an umbel.. The next bud may de- 
velop into a leafy branch and throw the two umbels to one side and 
place itself in the continuation of the stem. The last bud, if formed, 
usually remains small. Cassia Chamaecrista . — The raceme of 
flowers is found at some distance, sometimes half an inch, above the 
axil. Within the axil is frequently found a branch which may grow 
and give rise to flowers in its turn. Penthoriim sedoides. — The lower 
flowering branches are found in the axils of leaves, but become more 
and more raised above the axils by adnation to the stem as we ap- 
])roach the top of the plants. The uppermost branches, bearing the 
immediate inflorescence, all become adnate to the stem, thus forming 
a single compound inflorescence, the lower members of which are 
raised far above the subtending leaves, while the upper members may 
be referred to the axils of some of the tiny bracts, scattered about the 
common peduncle, formed by the union of the flowering branches. 
Some of the last members of a large inflorescence can not be referred 
to the axils of either leaves or bracts with certainty. Immediately in 
the axils of the leaves, whether containing branches in the very axil or 
removed to a position above it by adnation, may be found a tiny bud. 
