238 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Feb. 



vertically and to a very considerable depth. In the following 

 spring the leaves develop, forming a small rosette, while the 

 hypocotyl, and the base of the root commence to increase in 

 thickness, resulting finally in the formation of the very large 

 root which characterizes the species. The plumule develops only 

 a very short axis, and a few leaves, which winter over, and 

 these become then succeeded by a small rosette surrounding 

 the terminal bud, which is purely vegetative, the axis being a 

 monopodium. A similar structure of the hypocotAd and primary 

 axis may be observed in Geranium maculatum L. In this the 

 hypocotyl increases in thickness so as to form a roundish tuber, 

 and the apex of the axis is, also, here vegetative, developing a 

 few leaves during the first season; the primary root persists, but 

 does not increase in thickness to such an extent as in Claytonia. 

 The seedling of Baptisia tinctoria R. Br., shows the same contrac- 

 tion of the hypocotyl and root as observed in Claytonia, but the 

 primary shoot dies down to the cot vie dons, and the vegetative 

 reproduction is secured by the development of two overwintering 

 buds, located in the axils of the cotyleSons. In Gillenia 

 trifoliata Moench (Figs. 36-37), in Ceanoihus Americanus L., and 

 C. ovatus Desf., the 11\-pocotyl simply makes a bend toward the 

 surface of the ground, and cotyledonary buds are, also, developed 

 in these species, one in Gillenia, but two in Ceanoihus, which 

 replace the primary axis above the cotyledons; in these the 

 hypocotyl and primary root persist for several years. We have, 

 thus, in this type a hypocotyl whose function is first to raise the 

 cotyledons and plumule above the ground, and afterwards either 

 by contraction or simply by a bend to bring the overwintering 

 bud or buds nearer to the ground for protection against the cold. 

 A third type is represented by Ranunculus ahortivus L. 

 (Figs. 34 and 35); in this the hypocotyl raises the cotyledons 

 above ground, but soon afterwards it bends downward (Fig. 35) 

 and dies off, together with the primary root. However, just 

 before the hypocotyl and primary root cease to be active, a new 

 root-system becomes developed from the cotyledonary nodus, and 

 these secondary roots soon attach the seedling to the ground and 

 nourish it. A mature specimen of this species, thus, lacks a tap- 

 root; this manner of germinating was, also, observed in R. 

 recurvatus Poir., and is undoubtedly common to several other 

 species of the genus. The same is, furthermore, the case with 

 Sanicula Marylandica L., while in several other Umbelliferae, e.g. 

 Thaspium harhinode Nutt., Osmorhiza longistylis DC, etc., the 

 primary root develops as a persistent taproot with rapid increase 

 in thickness. Somewhat different from this type is the germina- 

 tion of Sarracenia purpurea L., in which a very distinct tuft of 

 long hairs develop at the base of the hypocotyl where the 



