264 Linnaean Society. 



rated. This bud is covered by a peculiar kind of jointed hairs, whose 

 attachments are lateral, at a short distance from their bases, and 

 they contain a few colourless granules. This bud sometimes appears 

 after the first leaf, in which case there is no second primordial leaf 

 formed, and is the rudimentary stem, the first growth from it being 

 a leaf which exhibits, although in a small degree, the first evidence 

 of gyration, and shortly after a root which is furnished with its own 

 sheath. As I have not seen more advanced specimens, I am unable 

 to describe the succeeding steps; but as, up to this point, my obser- 

 vations were made upon several hundred examples, I may safely 

 affirm that the instances were sufficiently numerous for my purpose. 

 All the leaves after the primordial ones, or those which grow direct 

 from the germ, are developed in a similar manner to ferns, and even 

 the running stem partakes in a slight degree of the same gyrate evo- 

 lution. The roots are all formed in sheaths, through the apices of 

 which they ultimately burst ; the sheath continuing to embrace the 

 base of the root, whilst a distinct and far more delicate sheath 

 closely embraces its point. Transverse sections of the stem, root, 

 and leaves show them all to be hollow with the cavity divided longi- 

 tudinally into separate channels. In the stem these longitudinal par- 

 titions are about fifteen or sixteen in number, and in the leaf and 

 root they are about ten or twelve, which in the latter are arranged 

 in pairs. These partitions radiate from a central column of enlarged 

 cells which surround a bundle of minutely dotted ducts that may be 

 unrolled spirally, and the channels between these partitions are fre- 

 quently divided by transverse partitions or diaphragms. The cells 

 which form these partitions are curiously arranged — they are flat- 

 tened on two opposite sides, and connected with each other by their 

 narrow sides and extremities, but only at intervals, so that there are 

 numerous holes formed which affi)rd a free communication between 

 all the channels. In the partitions of the root the intervening holes 

 are so large in proportion to the breadth of the cells that these have 

 the appearance of a string of beads. Another peculiarity of the 

 root is, that, in addition to the diaphragms formed of this tissue, 

 which are also found in the stem and leaf, a peculiar body is fre- 

 quently met with occupying a similar position to the diaphragms. 

 These bodies (for they are sometimes numerous) are each formed of 

 one or more cylindrical cells coiled up in a gyrate manner. They 

 grow from the angle formed by the partition and the cuticle, and 

 are developed subsequent to the other tissue, for they may be found 

 in various stages of advancement in the same root. Their nature I 

 have not been able to ascertain. 



