ROOTS 6 1 



selves to their position. I'^)r instance, the coinmon 

 Tiinoth)- _L,n'ass ritlciiiii pratoisc), which iisualK' 

 h'ves b\' means of a fibrous ro(jt, can. if needful, 

 produce a bulb which enables it to kee[) liviuL,^ in 

 a \er\- dr)- place, but if reinoxed to a wet soil it 

 returns to a fi Ijrous root. Other Lirasses ha\c been 

 observed to alter their root-t.jrowth in the same way, 

 adapting;" themselves to their surroundini^s. 



Air Roots. 



These absorb the water)' \a])our of the air; they 

 cannot adajjt themselves to live in earth, but under 

 certain conditions they can put forth other kinds of 

 roots that are partiall)- adapted for <,rrowing in soil. 



I may here i;i\e some personal observations 

 about a certain Hoya plant that came into my 

 possession so long ago as 1855. This much- 

 enduring plant lived in a hanging basket for many 

 N'cars, in the dr\' air of a sitting-room. Its leaves 

 were sometimes shrixelled from lack of water, and 

 it never had \igour enough to produce flowers. /\t 

 last, after enduring this life for twenty years, it was 

 placed in a stove-house where the moist heat suited 

 its requirements. Then it flowered charmingh', and 



