THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 31 



Propagation by Roots. — Ordinary roots originate from 

 stems and not stems from roots as is popularly believed. The 

 source of this mistake is doubtless to be found in those plants 

 which die down to the earth, each autumn, and in spring grow 

 again "from the roots" as common parlance has it, though the 

 botanist knows that the new shoots really spring from under- 

 ground stems and not from true roots. Although normally 

 roots do not give rise to stems, yet species in which roots can 

 do this are by no means rare, and in fact, so unvarying is this 

 feature that man depends upon it for propagating several of his 

 food plants. The sweet potato is, unlike the common white 

 potato a true root and is propagated by shoots that arise from 

 it in considerable numbers ; in fact, this plant seldom, if ever, 

 produces seed its usual means of multiplication being by means 

 of such shoots. The yam a tropical root, not very closely 

 allied to the sweet potato though often confused with it, is also 

 multiplied in this way. Among vegetables of northern gar- 

 dens propagated from sections of roots capable of originating- 

 buds and shoots may be mentioned horse-radish and sea kale. 

 The dahlia is a familiar instance among plants cultivated for 

 ornament and others are phloxes and butterfly-weed. 



Decorative Salt Bushes. — Apropos of the note on this 

 subject in the November issue, I would like to note another 

 decorative A triplex in addition to those mentioned namely. A. 

 hym-enelytra, a charming plant to my eye. growing in our 

 southwestern deserts. The foliage is the conventional desert 

 gray-green in color and the prickly edged leaves are so much' 

 like the holly in shape, that they are sometimes utilized for 

 making up into wreathe and often ornamental forms at Christ- 

 inas time, for sale in the California cities. From its native 

 habitat it must be very tolerant of drought and probably of al- 

 kali, and would be an addition to any garden of ornamental 

 shrubbery in a climate that would suit it. — C. F. Saunders, 

 Pasadena, Calif. 



