HARDWICKKS SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



13 



period of the year in which L. squamaria blossoms 

 (viz. April) is, of course, one in which great activity of 

 growth is going on in the host, and food supply 

 .-hould be abundant. But, however complete the 

 attachment may be to the host, there must be some 

 limit to the speed at which food materials can be 

 supplied, especially when it is considered that at this 



host's activity, during which, when not appearing 

 above ground, it was storing up material in its 

 scales for its next flowering. In August, 1886, I dug 

 up a plant (previously marked) on which the scales 

 were about half-grown, and with the flower-spikes 

 about half an inch long. (Shown exact size in Fig. 10.) 

 This points to conditions such as obtain in the 



Fig. 8. — Stomata and glandular hairs in cavity or scale, (a) stomata ; 

 (i) a stoma, with guard cells removed ; [c) glandular hairs ; [d) stem cells 

 of glandular hairs. X 220. _,_ t-Li . , 



Fig. 11.— Cavity of young scale with spores and 

 mycelium of a fungus enclosed. X 50. 



Fig. 9.— Longitudinal section of fully-developed scales, show- 

 ing the connection of the small cavities with one another, also 

 the unattached apex. X 4. 



Fig. 10. — Flower spike, as found in August, 18S6. 



Fig. 12. — Transverse section of underground stem near the base, showing 

 attachments to the host (hazel), [a) Hazel root : (b) vascular tissue of host ; 

 (c) vascular tissue of parasite ; [d) parenchyma of parasite ; (e) parenchyma 

 of host; (/)two small rootlets of the hosts attached ; (.r) sections of young 

 scales. X 7. 



time the host is needing all its resources on its own 

 account. It certainly would be strange if, during the 

 seven months' activity of the host, a period of only 

 five or 'six weeks was utilised by the parasite. The 

 most natural act (if I may so describe such an un- 

 natural proceeding) would appear to be, that the 

 parasite took advantage of the whole time of the 



Orobanches, which remain under ground for several 

 years, occupying the time in storing up food-material 

 in the large scaly bulbous base of the stem ; so in all 

 probability does L. squamaria store up in these 

 fleshy scales the necessary supplies for the period of 

 flowering. 



The cellular tissue of fully developed scales is 



