310 KINGSLEY: SPLITTING OF RHIZOME OF DELPHINIUM 
regular growth development. Consequently, the whole appear- 
ance of the underground part of Delphinium scaposum is that of a 
highly complicated ‘‘cluster of fleshy roots” in part of their ex- 
tent bound together like a cable, in part ramifying about irregu- 
larly through the soil and thus obtaining a wide spread. In 
another specimen, splittings occur almost immediately below the 
annual shoot. These split-off pillars need not necessarily be 
circular in cross section, for as often columns are found sickle- 
form in cross section. (Later examination reveals the fact that 
whereas the circular sections contain but a single vascular bundle 
and its secondary thickenings, the sickleform ones invariably 
have two or more distinct primary bundles with the rays between.) 
These practically always divide ultimately into members assuming 
this same circular appearance. 
Since there is no set order followed that can be discovered 
from external characteristics, the phenomenon of this splitting 
must be investigated internally. The only available matter 
published on this subject is a series of articles by Jost appearing 
in the Botanische Zeitung, 1890, and all references to the various 
forms he investigated will be referred to by page without repeating 
the entire reference each time after the first. My most satisfactory 
work was done with free-hand sections, treated with KOH and 
mounted in glycerine. Though some successful imbedding in 
paraffin was accomplished through the carbon disulphid process, 
the stained slides were more difficult to elucidate than the others, 
and proved of less value for actual study. 
If we take a specimen like FIG. 1a, which shows, natural size, 
a piece of the rhizome and the leaf bases of the aerial shoot, and ex- 
amine successive cross sections, we shall be able to trace this sepa- 
ration from the individual main stem of the aerial shoot down to the 
complete circle of separate columns, as shown in FIG. 2. The places 
where all successive sections described in this series are cut, are 
indicated on FIG. I. The first section (PLATE 13, FIG. 3) shows 
aregular primary stem structure. The hollow center is surrounded 
by four rows of parenchyma cells, outside of which is a circle of 
separate open collateral bundles. These primary bundles consist 
of xylem, cambium, phloem, with a heavy stereome cap, outside 
of which are five rows of cortical parenchyma cells, surrounded by a 
