4o6 William Russet Dudley 



bers appear never to have been described. Benthani and 

 Hooker, in the Genera Plantarum, describe the rhizoma as 

 tuberous-lobed. Ascherson uses a similar expression, and 

 Morong's recent figure shows a tuberous body at the base of 

 the stem. This error has come from the examination of her- 

 barium specimens, where the rhizomas usually appear bro- 

 ken into knotty masses. There is no suggestion of tuberous 

 or bulbous formations about any living .specimen. The 

 growth is monopodial, and one can obtain specimens from ten 

 to twenty-five centimeters in length, the usual thickness being 

 about one centimeter. Referring to Plate I., B, a remarkable 

 symmetry will be observed in the arrangement of the lateral 

 members. Applying the terms " node" and " internode " for 

 convenience only, it will be noticed that the fourth leaf and 

 branch (1* b*,) through the growth of the internode next for- 

 ward have been separated from the terminal bud, which has 

 freed itself by pushing forward out of the .sheath of the fourth 

 leaf. The branch does not even in the bud occupy the axil of 

 this leaf, and at present can be .seen supra-axillary, much 

 separated, and also about to free itself from the sheathing 

 fourth leaf. The growth of the internode also exposes the 

 epaulette of eight minute roots ( r' ) in a double row on the 

 shoulder of the rhizome, just below the next or fifth leaf, and 

 on the opposite side from, but above the fourth branch, (b*). 

 The number of the roots is either eight or six in each epau- 

 lette, in all the plants seen, and the older are furnished with 

 branched rhizoids. Throughout, the protective precautions 

 will be found remarkable. The earliest sheath (1^) envelops 

 all the younger members of the rootstock forward, \\ P per- 

 forming successively the same office. In addition to this cu- 

 mulative sheathing, the thick midrib of each leaf sheath will 

 be found directly over the enclosed branch-bud it immedi- 

 ately protects. As the rhizoma develops, every young lateral 

 member in the manner above described frees itself from the 

 mummy-like wrappings, one by one, and takes its place in the 

 plant community. It will be observed that the arrangement 

 of the roots, branch and leaf is alternately reversed in each 

 succeeding internode, the cartilaginous roots alternating with 



