THE PLANT AND ITS PARTS. 3 



stony soil, the tuft of leaves arises from the top of a 

 long slender stem which has grown straight up from 

 a bulb. From this slender stem true roots arise of a 

 fine thread-like character, and spread horizontally. 



A bulb of this plant consists of two or more tiny, 



Fig. t.— II. At night, flowers closed ; leaflets depressed. 



thick, and fleshy scales ; they are really shortened and 

 thickened leaf-stalks, without any blades, which con- 

 tain a quantity of nourishment, chiefly starch, for the 

 bud which is in the middle to live upon when it be- 

 gins to grow, and until it has produced roots of its own. 



