vn.] SAPROPHYTIC ADAPTATIONS 71 



of a musk plant happened to have penetrated 

 a rotten log, running parallel with the grain. 

 They were quite white. Each branch terminated 

 with a bud composed of very arrested scales. 

 The outermost tip protecting the apex was 

 hardened and brown (physiologically acting like 

 a root-cap). The epidermis was without any 

 stornata, delicate and " epithelioid " in char- 

 acter. It had a thick cortex of thin-walled 

 cells apparently full of water. There was a 

 very small central cylinder. Fine thread-like 

 roots were sparingly given off. These were 

 covered with extremely delicate unseptate hairs 

 penetrating the wood in all directions. So far 

 they would seem only to have absorbed water, 

 but on testing the starch, which was sparingly 

 scattered through the cortex, I found that it 

 assumed a bright red colour with tincture of 

 iodine, and not the usual violet tint. Now, 

 this red colour is characteristic of saprophytes. 

 A usual or perhaps invariable result of 

 these habits is seen in degradations in the struc- 

 ture and functions of parasites and saprophytes. 

 The most obvious sign of degeneracy in many 

 parasites is the want of chlorophyll. They might 

 be grouped artificially into chlorophyllous and 

 non - chlorophyllous. Such represent different 

 stages in degrees of degeneracy ; for, although 

 the presence of green leaves in the group 

 Euphrasies, such as yellow rattle, cow-wheat, 



