II. THE ROOT. 41 



15. Thirdly, Ruins. The flowers which have 

 these subterranean homes form one of many families 

 whose roots, as well as seeds, have the power of 

 reproduction. The succession of some plants is 

 trusted much to their seeds : a thistle sows itself 

 by its down, an oak by its acorns ; the companies 

 of flying emigrants settle where they may ; and the 

 shadowy tree is content to cast down its showers 

 of nuts for swines' food with the chance that here 

 and there one may become a ship's bulwark. But 

 others among plants are less careless, or less 

 proud. Many are anxious for their children to 

 grow in the place where they grew themselves, 

 and secure this not merely by letting their fruit 

 fall at their feet, on the chance of its growing 

 up beside them, but by closer bond, bud springing 

 forth from root, and the young plant being animated 

 by the gradually surrendered life of its parent. 

 Sometimes the young root is formed above the old 

 one, as in the crocus, or beside it, as in the amaryllis, 

 or beside it in a spiral succession, as in the orchis ; 

 in these cases the old root always perishes wholly 

 when the young one is formed ; but in a far greater 

 number of tribes, one root connects itself with 

 another by a short piece of intermediate stem ; and 

 this stem does not at once perish when the new 

 root is formed, but grows on at one end indefi- 



