Stipules in the Stellatae, with special reference to Galium . 199 
a similar stipule, but the midrib is forked at the tip. obviously indicating the 
fused nature of the stipule. Fig. 3 shows the midrib still more deeply 
forked, the apex of the stipule being at the same time slightly indented. 
Fig. 4 has two complete midribs as well as the two lateral veins which are 
normally present, while the apex of the stipule is very shallowly indented. 
This is the type of the double stipule which commonly occurs in this 
species. Fig. 5 shows a shallow notch at the apex, while one of the two 
midribs is provided with two lateral veins ; one of the latter being in the 
middle region of the stipule. Figs. 6 and 7 are stipules with a deeper 
notch at the apex and exemplify a type of much less common occurrence. 
Fig. 8 shows the deepest cleft the writer has seen. 
Figs. 1-8. Stipules of Galium gracile, Bunge. All x 1*5. Explanation in the text. 
It is obvious that the appearance of a double midrib is not due to an 
abnormally strong development of one of the lateral veins, since the lateral 
veins are always present in the stipules, whether they have one or two 
midribs. Moreover, the midrib may sometimes fork into two, as shown in 
Figs. 2 , and 3, and this phenomenon is held to be a step towards the pro- 
duction of two complete midribs. The stipule with two midribs and three 
lateral veins (Fig. 5) represents the nearest approach observed to a separa- 
tion of the stipule into two complete organs. Since the development of the 
leaves and stipules could not be investigated in the material at the writer’s 
disposal, it is impossible to state definitely whether the ordinary stipules 
(i. e. those with a single midrib) are always produced as the result of a true 
concrescence of two primordia. It is quite possible that each of the 
ordinary stipules is usually produced from a single primordium, and that 
two types of development may be found in one and the same species. 
Another instance is afforded by Galium par ado xum, Maxim., 1 which 
also is a Far Eastern species. 2 This plant possesses four ‘ leaves ’ at each 
1 Bulletin de l’Acad. Imp. de St.-Petersb., vol. xix (1873), p. 28 r. 
2 This species was first discovered in Manchuria in i860. Later, in 1879, Franchet and 
Savatier (Enum. PI. Japon., vol. ii, p. 392) recorded it from Japan. Its occurrence in China 
(Hupeh) was first made known by Diels (Engler’s Bot. Jahrb., vol. xix, 1901, p. 583), and in 
Korea by Kamarov (Flora Manshuriae, vol. ii, 1907, p. 497). It is not uncommon in the 
mountainous distiicts of Japan, but is apparently scarce in China. From the latter country the 
writer has seen the following specimens: Hupeh, Chienshih (Henry, No. 5851), Patung (Henry, 
No. 6026), Changyang (Wilson, No. 1153), Yunnan; ad collem Yen-tze-hay, alt. 3,200 m. 
(Delavay, No. 3102). 
