MAIZE STEM 167 



eye the course of the vascular bundles. The spiral 

 lateral curvature of the bundles in their downward 

 course may be readily recognized in such dissections, 

 where the ground tissue has been removed to a suffi- 

 cient depth. No botanic institution should be without 

 such dissections, which will make more plain to the 

 mind than any description, or any microscopic prepara- 

 tion, the rather complicated bundle-system of the 

 Palm-type. 



ii. Sim. BULBOUS TYPE. 



I. Examine a plant of one of the cultivated varieties 

 of Hyacinthus orientalis in flower, and note 



1. The broadly conical bulb covered externally with 

 dry scales, and having at the base a large more or less 

 concave scar covered with corky tissue. 



2. A fringe of unbranched roots rising from the 

 periphery of the scar. 



3. The leaves, which are of two sorts, (a) scale- 

 leaves^ which are colourless, short, and broad, and con- 

 stitute the greater part of the bulb, and (b) long, narrow, 

 and green foliage -leaves, with parallel venation. 



Halve the bulb longitudinally, and recognize the 

 shortly conical, yellow axis at the base of the bulb, 

 which is of small bulk compared with the bulb as a 

 whole, and is elongated upwards as the cylindrical 

 peduncle or scape. Upon this short axis are inserted 

 the fleshy, sheathing scale-leaves, and the less fleshy 

 bases of the foliage-leaves : note that in the latter there 

 is no clearly marked distinction between sheath and 

 lamina, as in the Maize- 



