Proliferous Character of the Lilium Candidum. 175 



Art. VI. Proliferojis Character of the floicfr-stnlk of the " Lilium 

 Candidum." By John Lewis Russell, Professor of Botany and 

 Vegetable Physiology to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. 



Perhaps it is not familiarly known to many of your readers, that 

 the flower-stalk of the White Lily (Lilium Candidum), cut immedi- 

 ately after the sepals have fallen', and kept in an upright position in 

 a cool and shady situation, will evolve from the axis of its bracteal 

 leaves distinct bulbs, capable of producing perfect plants. My at- 

 tention was first attracted to this curious fact by the kindness of a 

 friend, some three or four years since, and 1 have uniformly been 

 successful in the result, whenever I have renewed the experiment. 

 But the vital energy is not only continued and developed in the pro- 

 duction of these hitherto adventitious bulbs, several of the capsules 

 even, ripened sound and vigorous seed. Of course the usual im- 

 pregnation is presupposed ; but it is by no means a general, though 

 not uncommon event, that the seeds of this plant should ripen when 

 the stem continues in its usual functions, attached to the parent 

 bulb. 



Now this apparent phenomenon is a beautiful illustration of the 

 true character of bulbs, erroneously heretofore, and for many reasons, 

 still called bulbous-roots. It is well known to every practical gar- 

 dener, that when any accident occurs to tunicated bulbs, such, for 

 instance, as injuring their scales or living coats, by wounding with the 

 knife, or by any forcible rupture, the bases of the scales immediately 

 protrude sound and minute bulbs. By such means, although des- 

 tructive to the parent bulb, he is enabled to increase his stock of rare 

 plants of this family to almost any extent. Strictly and properly 

 speaking, there is no such thing in nature as a bulbous-root. The bulbs 

 of the Hyacinth, an Amaryllis, or a White Lily, are true and perfect 

 plants, for they individually possess a root, stem and leaf-bud, the 

 latter of which is fully capable of evolving leaves, flower-buds, and 

 fruit or seed, all the essentials of the vegetable. The base of the bulb 

 is its stem or trunk, technically called the collet or neck; ihe fibres 

 are the true roots, and the tunicated or scale-like substances situated 

 on the neck, constitute the leaf-bud. Like every other plant, when 

 arrived to that maturity which calls forth the production of the flower, 

 the flower bud is formed within, destined to rise the next season and 

 expand its organs of reproduction. The functions of the expanded 

 leaves make two annual increments to the plant ; first, a new layer 

 on the stem or collet ; and second by producing fibres. As each of 

 these leaves decay at the end of the season, the elaborated sap de- 

 scends into its base, forming another scale or tunic to the bulb or 

 leaf-bud. The leaves and flower-stalk both arising from the interior, 

 it happens that in process of time, the exterior scales or tunics be- 

 come useless, and lose their vital power. The flower-bud expands 



