and Multiplication in Erythronium 311 



form of variation were found in an hours' collection in New Jersey. 

 A plant collected at Washington, D. C, had one leaf (Fig. 28) 

 eight stamens and seven petals ; the flower is shown at Fig. 27. 

 Plants having three leaves, with one flower ; and four leaves, with 

 two flowers ; have been found at long intervals. Fig. 3 1 shows 

 also three rosettes formed by the root fibers, which indicates the 

 minimum age of the bulb at the depth at which it was found, that 

 is, three years. 



Bulbs and runners also have unusual developments, such as 

 surface buds or stimulation growths. The latter seems to have 

 started after a rain or other stimulation, and bursting through the 



partly formed runner bulb, has grown further into the soil. Fig. 

 31 shows one in which the nearly formed bulb is burst in two 

 directions, sending a continuation downward, and attempting to 

 produce leaves through the upper opening. These rudimentary 

 leaves showed a trace of yellowish green when first gathered. In 

 bulbs which have been injured, so that the sprout from the center 

 of the bulb fails to develop, a surface bud may be formed. Two 

 such bulbs were recently observed and are illustrated at Fig. 24. 



The starch which is very abundant in the bulbs is very finely 

 banded, the fine lines being accompanied at intervals by coarser 

 ones. Fig. 21 shows some of the more common shapes assumed 

 by the starch. Occasional grains are found which are greatly 

 elongated. Often there is a crack or fissure running through the 

 nucleus of the grain but this is not constant, especially in small or 

 medium sized grains. 



So far as known, a satisfactory explanation of the common 

 name of Erythronium has not been given. Many plants have for 

 their common names the translation of their Latin designation, and 

 the common name will remain through many changes in nomen- 

 clature of the scientific descriptions. People seeing in a new coun- 

 try a plant closely resembling one familiar near their homes, 

 usually give the new plant the name of the one already known. 



f 



Hence when Erythronium Americanum was seen, so closely re- 

 sembling the European species, it received the common name of 

 hat better known plant, dog's-tooth violet. 



In the library of the U. S. Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington, there is a copy of Leonard Fuchs* herbal : De his- 



