Ai'R. 1891).] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBUKGH 215 



A third seed was dealt with otherwise. It was laid 

 on its tlat side on the earth, and allowed to germinate 

 until its radicle liad grown straight downwards ;" inch. 

 It was then turned upside down, and in a few weeks 

 the cotyledon bent itself completely over, that is through 

 an angle of 180^, until the apex pressed a little against 

 the surface of the seed. The arch thus formed leaned 

 a little to one side (Fig. 12), and growth continued until, 

 in the course of another month, 10th December, the 

 apex had slid forward and entered a hollow of the seed 

 and become fixed. The point was now released by pressing 

 it to one side, so as to allow it to develop without restraint 

 (Fig. 13). The cotyledon now grew straight downwards, 

 and the apex penetrated a short distance into the soil. 

 In twelve weeks, 3rd March, the young bulb had 

 developed and grown considerably, being now jV ii^ch 

 in diameter, and the radicle had elongated as a stout 

 primary root ^ inch long (Fig. 14). It soon became 

 evident that the root action materially supplemented 

 that of the cotyledon in furnishing nutriment to the 

 growing bull), its growth being much more rapid than 

 that of the example described above, in wdiich the root 

 was undeveloped. In the course of another seven weeks, 

 24th April, the bulb (Fig. 15) measured jf inch diameter, 

 and the primary root, li inch in length. By this time 

 two adventitious roots had grown considerably (Fig. lour), 

 while the greatly expanded sheath of the cotyledon, intact 

 elsewhere, had been ruptured above by the growing leav'es 

 (Fig. 15/). The stalk of the cotyledon was still fairly 

 fresh, but the seed had shrunk greath'. 



After a further interval of six weeks, the bulb (Fig. 16) 

 had added only y,j inch to its diameter, but great growth in 

 both leaf and root had taken place. The primary root (Fig. 

 16j;/-) was now 2| inches long, and of three adventitious 

 roots produced, one was rather longer than the primary 

 root, and the other two shorter. Well-developed leaves 

 w§re also present, the largest being ^ inch wide. The 

 sheath of the cotyledon still enclosed the bulb completely, 

 as a light brown, scavious, veined tunic. The stalk was 

 quite withered, but still strong enough to bear the weight 

 when the young plant was suspended by it. The seed 



