Bucrania

pl. [Lat.] ( Arch.) A term to denote the heads of oxen, flayed and lacerated and decked with wreaths; sometimes represented on friezes. Bucy'rus, in Onto , a city, the cap. of Crawford co.; an important R. R. and manuf. place, center of rich farming section. Pop . (1890), 8,974; (1897), abt. 7,000. the sap from that part of the stem with which it is in communication; that part so acted upon attracts sap in its turn from the ti ue next it, and so a general movement towards the buds is established as far as the roots, by which fresh sap is absorbed from the soil. Thus is caused the phenomenon of the flow of the sap. Every leaf-bud is in itself a complete body, consisting of a vital centre, covered by nutritive organs or hair. Although it is ordinarily called into life while attached to its parent plant, yet it is capable of growing as a separate portion, and of producing a new individual in all respects the same as that from which it was divided; hence it is a propagating organ as much as a seed, although not of the same kind; and advantage has been taken from this for horticultural purposes. (See BUDDING.) In general, a bud is developed into a branch; but that power is interfered with or destroyed by several causes. This must be evident from the following considerations independently of all others. Every one knows that leaves are arranged with great symmetry upon young branches; as buds are axillary to leaves, the branches they produce ought therefore to be as symmetrically arranged as leaves; and this we see does not happen. We may account for this in two or three ways: accidental injuries will doubtle destroy some; from want of light others will never be called into action; and of those which are originally excited to growth a part is always destroyed by the superior vigor of neighboring buds, which attract away their food and starve them. There is moreover in many plants a special tendency to produce their leafbuds in a stunted or altered state. In Fir-trees the side-buds push forth only two, or a small number of leaves, and never lengthen at all; in the Cedar of Lebanon they lengthen a little, bear a cluster of leaves at their points, and resemble short spurs; in the Sloe, the Whitethorn, and many other plants, they lengthen more, produce no leaves except at their very base, and grow into hard sharp-pointed spines. Bulbs are nothing but leafbuds ( Fig . 439), with unusually fleshy scales, and with the power of separating spontaneously from the mother plant; and flower-buds are theoretically little more than leaf-buds without the power of lengthening, but with the organs that cover them in a special state. Hence flowers are modified branches. See FLOWER.