MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



283 



larger and forms the fruit, which later on is carried upwards 

 by the lengthening of the flower- stalk. The fruit (capsule) 

 ripens in June (in Spring Crocuses) and splits down the 

 middle of each chamber, setting the seeds free. 



Long after the flowers have withered the foliage-leaves 

 persist, carrying on photosynthesis and storing up food. 

 Where, and in what form, is this food stored ? Examine a 

 Crocus plant in May or June, noting the swollen base of each 

 shoot that has grown from a bud on the corm. The latter is 

 now withered and shrunken, while the swollen shoot- bases 



FLOWERING AXIS 



PORTION 

 OF SCALY 

 INVESTMENT 



ACCESSORY 

 BUD 



NEXT YEAR'S 

 CORM 



LAST YEAR'S 

 CORM 



Fig. 106. Corm of Gladiolus after removal of enveloping scales. 



The Bud forms the Corm of next year ; the Accessory Bud separates and forms 

 a new plant. 



are fresh and plump. Cut vertically through one of these 

 swollen bases and note the solid white mass, which is obviously 

 a young corm. The young corm is formed by the swelling of 

 the base of the stem, and its cells contain food which has 

 been made by the leaves and has travelled downwards for 

 storage in the young corm. Of what nature is the stored 

 food in the Crocus corm ? 



The new corms continue to grow in size until the foliage 

 leaves die and wither, when they will be found to have become 

 as large as the parent corm (to which they are attached) was 



