On “ Fasciation 
They are well known and exceedingly common, and concern 
axial organs. The stem presents, instead of the usual cylindrical, 
a more or less band-or strap-shaped structure ; this may either 
produce normal branches in a lateral position or may be entirely 
devoid of such. This strap-shaped shoot always branches or sub¬ 
divides at the apex more or less deeply into a number (two or more), 
shoots of equal value, although not always of equal length ; the fact 
that the internodes of some of the shoots are shorter than those of 
others and do not grow so rapidly in length, which is almost always 
the case, gives rise to the characteristic torsion of nearly all 
“ fasciated ” stems. 
4 
I observed a case, Ranunculus acer, in which the main axis of 
the inflorescence was thus “ fasciated at the apex it boi e a number 
of separate yet closely-approximated flowers, arranged in one plane, 
i.e. along a line. Laterally this axis bore a number of normally- 
constructed branches, and it was traversed longitudinally by 
numerous grooves and furrows. (Fig. 21.) 
Fig. 21. “ Fasciated ” inflorescence of Ranunculus acer with distinct gyncecial 
cones at summit, and copious formation of normal branches 
on the main axis. 
A similar “ banded ” shoot of Campanula media bore at its 
apex the flowers already described above. (Fig. 22.) 
