198 Takeda . — Some Points in the Morphology of the 
Galium palustre that the concrescence of two stipular primordia, as described 
by Eichler, is of very rare occurrence, and that, as a rule, only a single 
primordium gives rise to a single stipule. 
Franke, 1 who had fresh material ol a good many species of Galium 
and other genera of the Stellatae at his disposal, has confirmed Goebel’s 
observations, and states 2 that the four-membered whorls in the Stellatae 
arise without exception from four uniform protuberances. He reached the 
conclusion by investigation of Galium aetnicum , G . boreale , G. Cruciata , 
G , lucidum . G. Molhigo , G. parisiense, G. physocarpum, G.pusillum , G. re- 
curvum , G. rubioides , G. saccharatum , 6\ sylvestre, G. tenuissimum , 
6\ verum , and several other members of the Stellatae, including Rubia 
tine tor urn . 
It seems worth while, therefore, to inquire how far the feature described 
by Franke is general, and also whether there is any further evidence for 
Eichler’s statement. 
Fenzig 3 records that in Rubia peregrina one often finds whorls in 
which two forked stipules occur opposite one another, or, where the fission 
is complete, that six ‘leaves’ (i. e. two leaves and the two pairs of stipules 
belonging to them) are present at a node. He also mentions 4 that in 
Galium Cruciata the stipules are occasionally partially or completely 
divided, so that whorls with one or two of the laminae forked, or with five 
to six separate members, arise. 
The writer can add Galium gracile, Bunge, 5 as giving an example of 
a similar phenomenon. This species, which is widely distributed over 
Japan and China, constantly possesses four ‘leaves’ at each node, two 
being the true leaves and the other two stipular. Although no specimen 
has ever been found with more than four ‘ leaves ’ at a node, examples are 
however fairly frequent in which one or both of the stipules of a whorl 
have two midribs, indicating their double nature. The apex of the stipules 
with double midribs is usually more or less indented, but cases are 
occasionally found in which the apex is almost entire. There also occur, 
though less frequently, stipules with a forked midrib. Figs. 1-8 have been 
selected from two specimens of this plant gathered by Swinhoe in the 
interior of Amoy, China, to illustrate these features. Fig. 1 represents an 
ordinary stipule which possesses a single midrib and two lateral veins, and 
assumes exactly the same shape and size as the true leaf. Fig. 2 is 
1 Beitiage zur Morphologie und Entwickelungsgeschichte der Stellaten. Botanische Zeitung, 
vol. liv (1896), pt. 1, p. 33 et seq. 
2 Franke, 1 . c., p. 50. 
3 Pflanzen-Teratologie, systematise!! geordnet, vol. ii (1894), p. 37. 
4 Penzig, 1 . c., p. 38. 
6 Enumeratio plantarum quas in China boreali collegit (1832), p. 35. For a more detailed 
description see Makino in Tok\6 Botanical Magazine, vol. xvii (1904), p. 74. The plant has also 
been described as G. miltorrhizum : Hance, in Seemann’s Journal of Botany, vol. vi (1868), p. 114. 
