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DEVELOPMENT OF 



and alternates with the parent leaf. Such a position is the more 

 surprising in the Snowdrop, since the lateral bulb has quite the 

 normal position with respect to its parent leaf. It appears, 

 however, that a border, though extremely small, proceeds from 

 the lowest lateral margin of the upper leaf which encircles the 

 bud, indicating that the bud cannot belong to the axil of the 

 lower leaf; indeed, the upper leaf often encircles the bud with 

 the lowest portion of its margin, though only slightly. On the 

 whole, then, we come to the conclusion that the first leaf of the 

 bud must be regarded as next in succession to the upper leaf (g), 

 with which it alternates ; that the bud is terminal ; and that the 

 peduncle is in the axil of the upper leaf (g). 



Fig. 2. Fig. 1. 



Galanthus nivalis. 



If we now examine further the structure of the bulb, we find 

 that the upper portion of the sheath (e) of this year's plant dies 

 and disappears, while the lower remains as a reservoir of nutri- 

 ment. It then becomes the outer coat of the bulb (a), closed all 

 round, and showing a scar, above and from whose axil the lateral 

 bulb is developed. The first leaf loses only its lamina, and 

 becomes the sheathing scale (b), which has a scar at one point 



