110 



OBJECT LESSONS IN BOTANY. 



Prince's Pine, make a fine contrast of the two kinds of 

 stems. 



229. Several varieties of scale-stems must be distinguished ; 

 as, bulb, cor ra, rhizome, creeper, tuVer, &c. 



230. The Tulip, Hyacinth, OnioE, Lily, have hulhs ; you 

 see (Figs. 346, 347), they consist of roundish masses of thick 

 scales with a small axis — in fact, an overgrown bud. The 

 corm is like it in shape, but has a thick axis with thin scales 

 or none. (Fig. 345.) 



231. The rhizome^ or root-stock, is a fleshy, underground 

 stem, often scaly and marked with scars, as you see in the 

 Bloodroot, Solomon's Seal (Figs. 348, 349). 



Fig. 350. Creeper of "Nimble Will," or Witch-grass: a, bud; A, J, bases of the 

 stems which rise above-ground. 



232, The creeper is more slender, much branched, many- 

 jointed and many-scaled, as seen in this figure of the Witch- 

 grass. It sends out rootlets from its joints, and is very tena- 

 cious of life, binding the soil into turf wherever it abounds. 



233. The tuher^ such as grows on the underground stems 

 of the Potato-plant, is evidently a ste7n (not a root), for it al- 

 ways produces buds. 



229. Name five sorts of ^cale-stems. 



230. Describe the bulb ; the corm. 231. The rhizome. 

 232. Th« creeper. 233, The tuber. 



