ORCHIDE.E 565 



Up to the time when the third leaf-sheath protrudes above the 

 summit of the second, the plant has had no organ of absorption 

 beyond the papillae originally developed over the whole surface of 

 the young tubercle. But now the rudiment of a true root appears 

 on a level with the origin of the second leaf, inside the first sheath 

 which it tears in elongating and then bends and penetrates the soil. 

 While it is developing the third and fourth sheaths protrude ; but 

 before the complete leaf appears, the first sheath, torn by the root, 

 has already begun to perish. 



The leaves arise but a short distance apart, the internodes being 

 very short. When the stem grows they elongate, but very un- 

 equally ; the lowest always remains the shortest, the two next do not 

 increase very much ; but the last, at the summit of which is borne 

 the fifth leaf, grows considerably, and finally overtops the summit 

 of the sheaths at its base. It increases in breadth and thickness 

 as well as length, and forms the pseudo-bulb ; the narrow leaf- 

 sheaths surrounding its base become torn and perish, while it bears 

 at its summit the only leaf which attains complete development. 

 During the growth of the pseudo-bulb a second and third adven- 

 titious root arise in succession from the base of the third and fourth 

 sheaths respectively ; they are like the first and penetrate the ground. 

 Henceforth the plant can live alone and draw its food from the soil. 

 The ramified tubercle which it always bears at its base has ceased 

 little by little to grow, and either dries up or rots. If separated 

 from the plant when still full of life, it continues to live, and one of 

 its buds behaves like that which originally produced the stem from 

 which we have separated it, in fact it gives rise to a second plant. 

 Several plants may thus be raised from the product of the germina- 

 tion of a single seed. The bud which develops into a stem is in- 

 differently terminal or axillary, of the second or third order. No 

 law apparently determines its position, but its composition is always 

 the same : there are always five leaves, four of which reduced to 

 sheaths surround the base of the pseudo-bulb, the highest in- 

 ternode. Each leaf whatever its form bears a bud in its axil. 

 The leaves which surround the pseudo-bulb are alternate and 

 distichous. 1 



1 For figures, see the original paper in Ann. Sci. Nat., loc. cit. Seed and 

 germination, pi. 5. Seedling plant and its development, p. 16, figs. 1-9. 



