64 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW 115:2— Feb., 1919 



to compare the dates of blooming this year with those of previous 

 years. These records are taken from an Article "Phyto-Phenolog^^ 

 in its Application" from "Contributions from the Botanical Labora- 

 tory of the University of Pennsylvania." 



Below are given dates as recorded by Geo. C. Butz of State 

 College for the appearance of the first flower (fl) and the first leaf 

 (If) for each year from 1896 to 1906 inclusive: 



In these records the most striking thing is that the first flower 

 appears in each case before the first leaf, whereas in my experience 

 the leaf has always been first and is usually seen protecting the 

 flower bud. 



The following are records made for the Botanical Society of 

 Pennsylvania from 1900 to 1909 : 



After the fall of the petals there is little left that may be called 

 seasonal development except the maturation of the fruit and the 

 disappearance of the leaves. While the fruit is developing the leaf 

 stalk elongates and soon the leaf spreads out full size above the 

 developing fruit in a protecting manner, as soon, as the fniit is 

 mature. From the pistil of the flower the fruit develops into a 

 two-valved capsule while the stigma remains until the fruit ripens. 

 The capsule may reach a length of 2^-3 cm. and it is quite due to 

 its being densely packed with seeds, (about 16) peculiar in that at 

 one side is borne a well-defined white ridge, the carunculus (Fig. 2.) 

 Some have advanced the theory* that the ridge is present to enable 

 ants to grasp the seed more readily, so that it may be carried down 

 into their ant hills for storage and incidentally they may there 

 germinate. I have found no proof of the statement, for neither 

 have I seen ants carrying the seeds or the plants growing from ant 

 hills. Hence I conclude that this ridge is developed for some other 

 purpose, perhaps it has a respiratory function. 



*Dr. E. B, Southwick informed William M. Wheeler (Ants their Behaviour, 

 1910:315) that he has seen the ants in Central Park, N. Y. carry away the 

 seeds of the blood root and feed on their caruncles, so that they may be scat- 

 tered anywhere and not necessarily in ant hills. 



