166 PKACTICAL BOTANY 



2. The entry, horizontal course, and fusions of the 

 bundle-system of the leaf, and axillary bud. 



Note that the plexus of bundles at the node does 

 not extend far in a perpendicular direction. 



Y. In order to see the fundamental arrangement of 

 the vascular system, cut median longitudinal sections 

 through the apex of a young plant of Maize, or of a 

 foliage-branch of an old plant : treat with strong potash ; 

 or, better, with dilute potash for twenty-four hours : 

 examine with a low power, and observe, if the section 

 be median 



1. The apical cone (punctum vegetationis). 



2. Leaves, in successive stages of development, 

 seated laterally. 



3. In the older leaves, vascular bundles, which 

 enter the stem. 



On following the course of these vascular bundles it 

 will be seen that on entering the stem they proceed at 

 first towards the centre : before reaching it they curve 

 downwards, and finally turning again outwards they 

 approach the periphery of the stem. We thus see that 

 in young stems of Maize the course of the bundles cor- 

 responds to the Palm-type, though as the stem grows 

 older, and the internodes develop, the correspondence 

 is less obvious, by reason of the almost straight course 

 pursued by the bundles in the internode, and the 

 complications which arise at the node. 



But no student should be satisfied with seeing the 

 typical bundle-system of a Monocotyledon in small 

 microscopic preparations : for it is not difficult to pre- 

 pare from any of the Palms which have a columnar 

 stem, dissections which shall show plainly to the naked 



