43 



to find, if possible, any connection with roots of other plants. While 

 awaiting the examination new stems grew xip and developed. This 

 jioints to the view that the plant can do what it is frequently assumed 

 a plant without chlorophyll cannot do. 



Here is an ojiportunity for our club. During the coming summer 

 all our members should keep a sharp watch on Monotropa unijlora, and 

 by careful removal from the soil endeavour to trace any connection 

 between it and its host, if it has any. Attempts should also be made 

 to grow the plant from the seed and then try to make out its history ; 

 and by transplanting specimens and growing them in pots show 

 whether they can live and grow independent of any connection with 

 another living plant. 



In the discussion which followed the reading of Dr. Baptie's 

 paper, j\Ir. Fletcher said that he thought the subject a very useful one^ 

 because it gave the members an opportunity for investigation during 

 the coming season. Conspicuous objects in the woods in spring were 

 the beautiful seedlings of the beech, the plant upon which M. unijlora 

 was alleged to b) parasitic. These could be easily transplanted and 

 grown in pots until the seeds of monotropa were mature, which might 

 tben be planted in the p )t, some on the roots and some sprinkled on 

 the soil. Careful attention would then surely reveal something of its 

 nature. It was possible, he thought, that seeds might be found in the 

 old pods of last year, if so the exp3riment might begin much earlier in 

 the ye:\r. He suggested that parasites such as M. unifiora, where no 

 connection could be detected bet ween the mass of roots and any living 

 plant, might be biennials, parasitic in the true sense for the first year, 

 when all the energy of the plant was devoted to storing up a supply of 

 nourishment underground, as do carrots, parsnips and other tuberous- 

 rooted ])iennials. Subsequently the connection with the host-plant 

 might decay leaving merely a mass of roots, at some little distance 

 therefrom, stored with stolen nourishment, from which in the second 

 year would be thrown up the flower-stems. Such a mode of growth 

 would account for Dr. Baptie's jdiut continuing to develope after 

 removal from ifs natural habitat. 



