9 DICOTYLEDONS 



Til. Kiuluta Tammale) is often found in Horse-Gram iields, and 

 1. seplaria in hedges, the latter having dark blotches about the 

 midrib of its cordate and acuminate leaves. The Goat's-Foot 

 Creeper {1- bilohata; Kan. Adumbu) is a xerophilous creeper on 

 sandy seashores. It is remarkable for its two-lobed leaves joined 

 on the inner edge like Bauhinia (page 41). 



Evolvulus alsinoides {Kan. Yishnukranti), one of our loveli- 

 est flowers in the grass, has a prostrate stem with beautiful, sky- 

 blue, short-tubed flowers. It is a xerophilous plant covered all 

 over by long, air-entangling hairs. 



21. The Nightshade Family 



(Solanacese). 



Herbs or shrubs, many of which are poisonous. Leaves alternate, 

 exstipulate. Flowers radial. Corolla funnel or bell shaped, lobes five, 

 folded inwards. Ovary superior, of two carpels. Fruit a berry or a 

 capsule. Seeds numerous, endospermous. 



(a) The Potato {Solaniim tuherosiim). 



(Plate No. 6 22.) 

 {Kan. Uralagadfle. Mai. Uralakilaiiu. Tarn. Uralakilangu. Ilin. Batata.) 



1. Importance of the Tuber. — The part of the Potato plant 

 most often seen by us is the iuher. This grows in the ground, 

 but is not the root of the plant. For, if we closely examine the 

 tubers, we shall And buds, or as they are commonly called ''eyes", 

 and also scale-like leaves which never occur on roots, but only 

 on parts of the stem, and we thus see tliat the tuber is only a 

 swollen stem (jrowim) under gronml. In full-grown potatoes the 

 scales are not present, but there are small curved lines under 

 the eyes. These lines are the scars of the scales. , If the tubers 

 are planted, new plants may grow out of each of these buds. 

 Even if one of the latter is cut out and i)lantcd in the soil, it 

 may grow into a new plant. From this it is evident that the 

 tuber is of great importance to the life of the Potato plant. 



