1909] Wiegand,— Tubers on Roots of Eleocharis 29 
D. S. Carpenter of Middletown Springs, Mrs. E. B. Davenport, 
Brattleboro, and Miss Nancy Darling, Woodstock. Committee to 
determine the time and place of the summer meeting, Dr. H. H. 
Swift, Pittsford, Mr. W. W. Eggleston, Washington, D. C., and Prof. 
L. R. Jones, Burlington. 
It is probable that the summer meeting will be held at some point 
on Lake Champlain, during the week of the ter-centennial celebration 
of the discovery of the Lake, probably July 6 and 7. 
BuRLINGTON, VERMONT. 
TUBERS ON THE Roots or ELEOCHARIS INTERSTINCTA AND E. 
QUADRANGULATA.— One afternoon last October the writer, in company 
with Prof. M. L. Fernald, dug some specimens of Eleocharis inter- 
stincta and E. quadrangulata in Waban Lake, Wellesley, Massachusetts. 
On the roots of E. quadrangulata elliptical or oblong, pale, tuber-like 
growths were found varying in length from 2-8 mm. ‘They were situ- 
ated on the finer branches of the root at some distance back of the tip, 
but the portion of the root beyond the tuber had disappeared in all 
but the younger examples. The frequency of the occurrence was 
variable, some plants apparently bearing none, others several. Sec- 
tions through all parts of the tuber showed the presence of the regular 
root-structure,— a central vascular cylinder, and a cortex which in 
this case was very much thickened and gorged with starch. Оп 
the same plant with fresh tubers, older tubers were found on older 
roots. These consisted of a shell-like outer covering, and the woody 
central cylinder, but were otherwise hollow, thus suggesting that the 
starchy material had been removed for use. The tubers of Е. inter- 
stincta were similar in every respect. 
It was first thought that the tubers were of the nature of galls, but no 
evidence was found to support this view. It would be interesting to 
know if similar tubers are found on these two species in other localities 
farther southward, and if there is any evidence that they are not true 
tuberous roots. ‘The writer has been unable to find reference to the 
occurrence of such growths on the roots of any species of Eleocharis 
though similar ones are known to occur in Cyperus.— K. M. WiEGAND, 
Wellesley College. 
