Gramineæ.—Bauhin, 'Pinax.,' 21. Morison, 'Hist. Plant.,' t. i. Winckler, 'Ephem. Nat. Cur.,' dec. i, ann. 7, 8, p. 151. Irmisch, 'Flora,' 1858, p. 40, &c.
See also under Chloranthy, Viviparous plants, &c.
Prolification of the flower.—In the preceding sections the formation of adventitious buds of a leafy or floral nature on the inflorescence has been considered. A similar production of buds may take place in the flower itself, either from its centre or from the axil of some of its constituent parts. Prolification of the flower is therefore median or axillary, and the adventitious bud itself may be of a leafy or a floral nature.
Median leafy prolification.—In this malformation the centre of the flower is occupied by a bud or a branch; the growing point or termination of the axis which ordinarily ceases to grow after the formation of the carpels, takes on new growth. This is well shown in the accompanying illustration (fig. 58), representing the thalamus of a strawberry prolonged beyond the fruits into a small leaf-bearing branch.
Fig. 58.—Receptacle of strawberry prolonged into a leafy branch. From the 'American Agriculturist.'
Fig. 59.—Flower of Verbascum with five disunited sepals, five similar green petals, and a prolonged branch in the centre of the flower.