MEMOIRS OF THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



■99 



room, the main axes of the gemmae began to elongate, and sent up 

 stems about 15 mm. in height, which were fairly equal to that of nor- 

 mal specimens. The etiolated stems were almost devoid of color, 

 but a faint greenish tinge was noticeable in 

 the leaves. The cells were larger in all 

 measurements and the stelar tissues less per- 

 fectly differentiated. The etiolated stems 

 were slightly thicker than the normal, and 

 bore about five leaves, which were appressed 

 and much narrower and shorter than the 

 normal, being bract-like. The distance be- 

 tween the leaves was greater than usual, A B 

 correspondent to the internodal elongation Fig. 155. Lycopodium lu- 

 of the higher plants. One or two roots had "'^«^«'«- ^.normal plantlet 



, . , , 111 arising from sprouting gem- 



been formed by some gemmae, and the lat- ^^. z?, etiolated plantlet. 

 ter has begun to assume a yellowish aspect 



as if the chlorophyl were breaking up. The growth of the etio- 

 lated plants continued for five weeks from the time of germination. 



Smilax Beyrichii Kunth. 



Tubers of Smilax from Florida collected in October, 1901, were 

 placed in the dark room and control chamber in January, 1902, and 

 began growth in May. On October 7, 1902, etiolated stems had 

 been formed that had a length of 80 to 90 cm., consisting of 18 to 

 20 internodes of a length of 2.5 to 4.5 cm. Normal stems had 

 formed a much larger number of internodes which made up a total 

 length of 2 to 3 meters, the separate internodes measuring about 

 double the etiolated members. Numbers of weak prickles half of 

 the length and thickness of the normal were formed in darkness, 

 in addition to which some papillar projections were formed on the 

 basal etiolated internodes which were doubtless rudimentary roots. 

 Leaves were represented on the etiolated shoots by sheathing bracts 

 something larger than the normal, being over a centimeter in length, 

 and bearing a narrow lanceolate body at the apex a few millimeters 

 in length representing the petiole and lamina. Tapering papillae 

 on either wing of the base near the lamina represented the ten- 

 drils. These organs arose from the extreme margin, and had the 

 appearance both in the etiolated and normal organs of being branches 



