5S0 TRANS. ST. LOUIS ACAD. SCIENCE. 



The largest growth in 24 hours, 15 inches, took place in the 4th 

 decade, Aug. ioth-nth, mean temp. 7S ; while on Aug. 18th, 

 with mean temp. S4 , the growth is marked only i inch, and Aug. 

 23rd and 25th, mean temp. S5 , it amounted to 1 inch and | inch 

 respectively. 



The quantity of rain had apparently little or no immediate ef- 

 fect, as it was pretty evenly distributed through the whole period. 



The full-grown scape measured 54 inches to the base of the 

 panicle, which, when fully developed, was itself 21 inches long 

 and a little wider, and consisted of 19 branches, the lowest ones 

 the longest, somewhat v -shaped, and horizontal, with the end 

 turned up. 



About newyears the lower branches of the panicle, which thus 

 far had formed a pointed club covered by the large bracts, began 

 to straighten out, while the upper ones with their bracts yet formed 

 a large cone. The first flowers opened on the lowest branch on 

 Feb. 5th; the innermost ones of each cluster developed first, the 

 others flowering n quick succession, so that all the flowers of 

 a bunch were in bloom within about three days. Two or three 

 weeks later the plant may be said to have been in fullest bloom, 

 though the lower clusters were passed and the uppermost not yet 

 open. These last flowered about March iS-20th, so that the flow- 

 ering period (at this season and in a greenhouse) occupied from 

 six to seven weeks. 



Abundant opportunity was afforded to study the gradual devel- 

 opment of the flowers (see also p. 29S). I have, on Plate IV., 

 represented these various phases by a series of figures carefully 

 drawn from nature. 



The bud bursts in the morning or in the middle of the day 

 (Fig. 4) ; the bent filaments begin to straighten out, the still 

 closed anthers commence to protrude, the top of the style has 

 not yet reached the tip of the perigonial lobes. Only thus far 

 the perigon and its lobes are fresh, exhibiting their fullest devel- 

 opment. 



In the evening of the same day the filaments are straightened 

 •out above the perigon, the anthers begin to open at the upper and 

 lower ends, as Fig. 6 shows, and then all along their commis- 

 sures ; the style has not 3 et reached the length of the filaments, 

 but the perigonial lobe are already withering at tip. 



