Stipules in the Slellalae, zvith special reference to Galium. 209 
(M. Bieb.), Boiss . 1 This plant, which is a native of the Caucasus and 
Persia, usually has six ‘ leaves ’ to a node. In the upper region of the stem 
of one of the specimens collected by Szovits in Persia and sent to Kew from 
the Imperial Botanic Garden in Petrograd , the writer found a whorl consist- 
ing of two true leaves and three stipules, one of which is provided with two 
midribs, the lamina being at the same time very shallowly notched at the 
apex. Unfortunately, the specimen is unsuitable for examining the 
number of £ leaves ’ at the next nodes above and below the one just 
mentioned. In this plant, branches are given off from several of the 
lower nodes. The branches usually start with nodes which bear four 
‘ leaves ’ to each, and are gradually succeeded by five- and six-membered 
Figs. 23-27. Asperula trifida, Makino. 23-26. Double stipules. 27. True leaf from the node 
at which the double stipule delineated in Fig. 26 is borne. All x 5. 
whorls, as the branches become elongated . 2 In the same series of speci- 
mens the writer found two cases in which one of the stipules of a five- 
membered whorl had two midribs. The arrangement of the ‘ leaves ’ on 
one of the branches is as follows : the first node has two true leaves and 
two stipules, one of the latter having two midribs ; the second node is 
four-membered, both of the stipules being normal ; the third node five- 
membered, one of the stipules again having a double midrib (Fig. 22) ; 
while the fourth whorl is just sprouting, thus preventing the determination 
of the number of £ leaves * with accuracy. 
The examples described above clearly show that double stipules may 
occur in any part, but more often near the base, and also towards the apex 
of a stem. It may also be remarked that double stipules fall on the whole 
into two categories, according as they form a transition towards increase 
or decrease in the number of £ leaves * in a whorl. In other words, 
1 FI. Orient., vol. iii (1875), p. 28. The plant was originally described as Crucianella aspera , 
M. Bieb. : FI. Tauiico-Caucasica, vol. i (1808), p. 107. 
2 A similar feature is also found in G. A pa vine, Linn. In the seedling of this species, and also 
of others belonging to the Stellatae, branches are very frequently produced in the axil of the 
cotyledons. 
