THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



Structures therefore is not premature but abnormal. An examina- 

 tion of the basal portion of these bulbs shows both premature and 

 abnormal development. There is often a decided elongation of 

 the basal internodes of the stem, accompanied by immediate de- 

 velopment of axillary buds, as seen in the dissected bulb shown 

 at Nos. 9 and lo. Normally this part of the stem does not elon- 

 gate, but remains with short, flattened internodes givmg a com- 

 pact bulb with closely packed scales (see No. 14) with buds that 

 remain dormant until the following spring. The development 

 of these bulbs at this time is premature, but is also abnormal in 

 that the bulbs are of small size and of irregular shape. 



Thus in a single new bulb there may be a combination of sev- 

 eral kinds of abnormal and premature developments involving 

 scales, main stem and lateral buds. It is usually the first or 

 largest of the new sister bulbs in which the most complex degrees 

 of abnormal and premature growth are seen. In some cases, as 

 in bulbs of Nos. 6 and 7, smaller bulbs have scales that are ab- 

 normally soft and spongy. 



Large numbers of the tulip La Triumphante were grown in the 

 display beds at the New York Botanical Garden in the spring of 

 1 91 7. Nearly every plant bloomed, and in nearly every plant 

 there was a combination of abnormal and premature develop- 

 ments. The plant shown in No. 3 was quite typical. The first 

 bulb produced green leaves from the outer scales, the main stem 

 was elongated (No. 9) and the lateral buds were prematurely 

 and abnormally developed (No. 10). The scales and stems were 

 spongy and of light weight; in fact the entire weight of such 

 bulbs, green leaves and all (No. 4), was much below that of 

 normal first bulbs or even of second bulbs. The entire weight of 

 the first bulb shown at No. 4 was n grams, while that of the sister, 

 ,a more compact second bulb shown at No. 5, was 20 grams. It 

 was necessary to remove all the tulips of this planting from the 

 beds to facilitate other planting for summer display. Accord- 

 ingly all plants were dug and placed in storage in a cool dry cellar. 

 Examination of the bulbs in October revealed that every one of 

 the first bulbs and large numbers of the smaller sister bulbs had 

 died during the summer. They had become completely dry. The 

 same five bulbs photographed in the spring (Nos. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 



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