LILY OF THE VALLEY. 119 



nutriment from it, and that the base of the axis which this year 

 sends out transitory tuberiform roots, will next year produce the 

 normal fibres. 



Crocus vebnus. 



Fig. 1. Base of plant in spring. 



b. lowest sheath. 



c, d, e. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th 



sheaths. 



f. leaves. 



g, h, i. tuberiform roots. 

 k. filiform roots. 



b', c', d', e', f. analogous organs 

 in lateral accessory bud. 



Fig. 2. Corm deprived of its coats in 

 autumn. 



A. corm. 



B. remains of old peduncle. 



a. lowest sheath of principal 



bud. 



b. second do. 



e, e. accessory buds in axils of 

 lower leaves of last year. 



C'onvallaria majalis, L. (Lily of the Valley.) 

 The dried leaves of the previous year are still visible in spring, 

 and involve the base of this year's plant. Next to these follow 

 from four to six sheaths closed in front, of which the inner 

 constantly project beyond the outer. Then follows a small mem- 

 branous sheath, in front of which is the peduncle, which produces 

 no leafy appendage below, but the first bract above bears in its 

 axil the first flower. No bud is found in the axil formed by the 

 above-mentioned scale and the peduncle. On the other side of 

 the peduncle the two or three new leaves are seated, of which the 

 first or outermost does not stand with its back to the peduncle, but 

 obliquely. Occasionally the leaves do not stand immediately close 

 to the peduncle, but are involved in a long sheath, which then is 

 turned with its back towards the peduncle. 



The leaves are furnished with long closed sheaths. At the 

 base of the sheath of the innermost there is already in spring a 

 little bud. If this is examined again in autumn, it shows com- 

 pletely the same organisation as the plant in spring above described, 

 only everything is undeveloped ; it is then especially clear, 

 that the scale immediately before the peduncle involves with its 

 borders not merely the peduncle, but also the still rudimentary 

 leaves which stand upon the other side of it. 



Besides the main bud, another far smaller is found normally in 

 the sheath of the inner leaf near the main bud where the margins 

 of the first sheath are united to each other. Even in spring this 

 is still very small when the main bud is ready to flower ; it is 

 formed of many sheaths, and generally remains undeveloped. 



Besides these buds with undeveloped internodes, there are 

 formed on the knots of the underground creeping axis, lateral axes, 



