yii.] BOTANY. 31 



roots that consist wholly of simple fibres (hyacinth; ; 

 (b) annual roots of much branched fibres (grasses, 

 groundsel, shepherd's purse) ; (c) branched roots whose 

 fibres become woody in the second year (trees, shrubs, 

 and herbs with woody roots). 



To the second class belong (a) such roots as 

 are fleshy and globose or spindle-shaped (turnip, 

 carrot, radish, beet). These produce leaves the first 

 year, and in the second, leaves, flowers, and fruit, 

 after which the whole plant dies. They are nourished 

 by slender fibres from their sides and tip. (b} Roots 

 with many fleshy branches, called tubercles (ficaria, 

 dahlia), (c) Roots with only two fleshy tubercles like 

 the orchis, which deserves a separate description. 



46. The root of an orchis consists of two distinct 

 fleshy tubercles, one large, the other small. Both 



FIG. 15. Tubercles and Root-fibres of Orchis. 



grow at the bottom of the stem, below the stout root- 

 fibres which spread horizontally from just above them. 

 When an orchis is in flower, the flower-stem proceeds 

 from the top of the large tubercle, which bears the 

 smaller tubercle attached close to its neck. Later in 



