30 PROSERPINA. 



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 stern does not at once 

 perish when the new root is formed, but grows on at one end 

 indefinitely, perishing slowly at the other, the scars or ruins 

 of the past plants being long traceable on its sides. When it 

 grows entirely underground it is called a root-stock. But 

 there is no essential distinction between a root-stock and a 

 creeping stem, only the root-stock may be thought of as a 

 stem which shares the melancholy humour of a root in lov- 

 ing darkness, while yet it has enough consciousness of better 

 things to grow towards, or near, the light. In one family it 

 is even fragrant where the flower is not, and a simple house- 

 leek is called ' rhodiola rosea,' because its root-stock has the 

 scent of a rose. 



16. There is one very unusual condition of the root-stock 

 which has become of much importance in economy, though it 

 is of little in botany ; the forming, namely, of knots at the 

 ends of the branches of the underground stem, where the new 

 roots are to be thrown out. Of these knots, or 'tubers,' 

 (swollen things,) one kind, belonging to the tobacco tribe, has 

 been singularly harmful, together with its pungent relative, 

 to a neighbouring country of ours, which perhaps may reach 

 a higher destiny than any of its friends can conceive for it, if 

 it can ever succeed in living without either the potato, or the 

 pipe. 



17. Being prepared now to find among plants many things 

 which are like roots, yet are not ; you may simplify and make 

 fast your true idea of a root as a fibre or group of fibres, 

 which fixes, animates, and partly feeds the leaf. Then prac- 

 tically, as you examine plants in detail, ask first respecting 

 them : What kind of root have they ? Is it large or small iu 



