ON ROOTS. 33 



cut or bitten off. It has hence obtained the name of ra- 

 dix prcemorsa or abrupt root ; but it is, in fact, nothing 

 more than the radix fusiformis originally mutilated, and 

 modified by that mutilation in successive generations. 



Emily. Is not the Devil's bit Scabious of this descrip- 

 tion? I recollect hearing a curious story of its acquiring 

 this mutilated form. In the age of sorcery and credulity 

 it was affirmed, that the devil, out of spite to mankind, 

 bit off the end of a plant which was endowed with so 

 many excellent properties. 



Mrs. B. The name of the plant is, no doubt, derived 

 from this ridiculous story ; but I should be rather inclin- 

 ed to suppose that it was an allegorical compliment to 

 the virtues of the plant, than that such absurdity could 

 obtain belief in any age. 



Emily. Bulbous roots, such as those of the hyacinth, 

 the lily, and the onion, are also solitary roots, Mrs. B.; 

 but they seem to fix the plant in the soil rather from their 

 mass than their depth, for they are very superficial ; and 

 it is no doubt from the difficulty of finding water, that 

 Nature has added to their root a tuft of small stringy 

 fibres (which are doubtless furnished with spongioles) to 

 multiply the points of absorption. 



Mrs. B. The bulbous root, radix bulbosa, is improp- 

 erly so called, for the tufts or fibres pendant from the 

 bulb are alone the roots. The bulb itself, you will learn, 

 when you come to examine its structure, constitutes the 

 stem of the plant ; no wonder, therefore, that it is super- 

 ficial. 



Emily. How curious ! a globular subterraneous stem? 



Mrs. B. If you prefer giving it the name of bud rath- 

 er than of stem, you may with equal propriety, for it con- 

 tains the whole embryo plant; but, as we are not at pres- 

 ent treating the subject either of stems or of buds, we 

 must reserve this explanation for a more appropriate 

 period.* 



* Bulbs are closely allied to Buds. This affinity is less obvious when 

 the bulb occurs in its most usual position, beneath the surface of the 



129. What is the appearance of the abrupt root, and how is it proba- 

 bly produced 1 ? 130. What curious story, as she calls it, does Emily 

 repeat relating to this rootl 131. What does she say of bulbous 

 roots'? 132. What does Mrs. B. say of the name by which they are 

 called! 133. What does the bulb contain! 134. By what other 

 name does she tell Emily it may be called with equal propriety 1 



