Metaphyta L ilium. 1 4 ; 



Still continuing our general survey, we may observe that 

 in the flower or cone of these angiosperms we have far fewer 

 sporophylla than in the cone 



. , . 77 . . . .. FIG. 63. Nymphffa alba. TRANSITION 



Of Selagintita, but this dlS- FROM PETALS TO STAMENS. (Maout 



tinction is bridged over by /s !^ d D 

 the flowers of such exam- 

 ples as the water-lily, a plant 

 which, despite its name, is 

 a far nearer relation to the 

 buttercup than to the true 

 lily. Again we have to note 

 that some of the sporo- 

 phylla are barren, namely, 

 those which are coloured 

 and lower down m the cone. 

 Were space a matter of no object, numerous intermediate 

 conditions might be referred to which would help to con- 

 vince us, if that were necessary, that in the lily and buttercup 

 we have to deal with plants in no respect distinct in nature 

 and life-history from those we have already considered in 

 the preceding sections. 



Stem. The stem of Lilium y like that of the fern, is 

 underground, but from its peculiar shape it receives the 

 name of bulb. It is difficult at first sight to see exactly 

 where the stem proper is. If a section be made of the bulb 

 (e.g. of an onion or hyacinth) it will be seen to consist of two 

 parts a disc shaped lower portion, from the under-surface 

 of which the roots spring, and an upper portion which is 

 discovered to be composed of the thickened bases of the 

 closely-packed leaves. The typical stem we have already 

 seen consists of nodes, from which the leaves spring, and of 

 internodes between the nodes. In the bulb the internodes 

 are absent, and the nodes are closely crushed together, so 

 that the stem is exceedingly short and reduced to a mere 

 disc- shaped mass, from which the leaves spring. The only 

 part of the stem remaining of tolerable length is the terminal 



L 



