132 



The Ohio Naturalist. 



GEOPHILOUS PLANTS OF OHIO, II. 



Frederick J. Tyler. 



The uuderground parts of plants are often of value as a means 

 of characterization, and if the plant is a weed they become of the 

 greatest importance ; as the worst weeds are almost invariably 

 geophytes. Yexy little information is given in most of the 

 manuals upon this subject, and what is given is not always 

 satisfactory. 



Figure i. " 



The terms used in describing geophytes are in every day use, 

 except one — the crow-n. This term is applied to an herbaceous 

 perennial wdiich has but one upright stalk the first year. This 

 dies to the surface of the ground at the end of the season, but 

 the short, upright, underground stem survives. It then sends 

 up lateral branches, which in some cases grow out several feet, 

 in others only an inch or so before coming to the surface. This 

 branching, however, usually takes place in the Autumn and 

 often the entire crown of lateral branches is formed some time 

 before the parent plant is cut down by frost. 



The following notes, and others, to be given later, are 

 intended to supplement the notes on Geophilous Plants of Ohio 

 in the O. S. U. Naturalist ^ 1:21 : 



Hypericum ascyron \,. A large woody root, surmounted by a 

 close crown. 



