393 
Physiology of Fasciated Seedlings . 
appears to be of most importance.’ A point worthy of special notice is that 
the fasciations usually just precede the date of flowering, i. e. at a time when 
the carbohydrates of the plant will be very abundant. 
Molliard (14) describes cases of fasciation in which he found the apices 
of the plant injured by insects. 
J. Peyritsch (17) found fasciations which he thought were due to fungal 
attacks. 
T. Petch (16) states that fasciations are frequently found in Hevea 
Brasiliensis. The trees affected are principally young trees. He thought 
that in some instances fasciation was due to attack of insects and Fungi, but 
in the majority of cases no definite cause could be stated. 
R. H. Compton (3) describes the anatomy of a ‘ ring fasciation ’ in the 
Mummy Pea, Pisuni umbellatum (Miller). This form also breeds true, 
its peculiar character behaving as a simple recessive in crosses with the 
normal type. 
A review of the historical evidence leads us to conclude that fascia- 
tions are due to at least two causes. Firstly, the presence of super- 
abundant nourishment and suitable conditions for rapid development ; and, 
secondly, the sudden arrest of the activity of growing points due to insect 
and fungal attacks. It would appear, though, that a third factor ought 
to be added to account for the many cases of fasciation which appear 
for no apparent reason, but which might very easily be caused by 
mechanical injury to the growing point. 
In any case, it now appears to be fairly certain that whatever the 
inducing factor may be there must be present within the plant a consider- 
able quantity of elaborated sap to supply the demands of increased meri- 
stematic activity, and it may well be that this is the essentially determining 
cause in all. 
In the present investigations seedling plants of Leguminoseae were 
chiefly used, but others were introduced for purposes of comparison. 
The seeds were germinated in various soils, and when the plumular 
shoots had developed a length of about an inch or so the apical bud was 
cut away and the seedling allowed to continue its growth.* 
Two types of seedling were used, the epigeal and the hypogeal types. 
A. Hypogeal. 
I. Phaseolus multiflorus. 
The plants were grown in both soil and sawdust. In about two days 
the radicle had penetrated the testa and grown down into the substratum. 
Two or three days later the epicotyl and plumular leaves had appeared 
above the soil and attained a length of about an inch. The main por- 
tion of the epicotyl was removed and the seedlings allowed to continue 
