74 



FLOWER-LAND. 



can get a chemist to show you a piece of ipecacuanha 

 root, you will see an example of a ringed or annulated * 

 root. (Fig. 9, p. 12.) Do not be content with 

 looking at the picture, but try and see a piece 

 of the root itself. 



But there are adventitious roots (p. 80). As for 

 instance those which grow from the leaves or stems 

 of plants. Perhaps you would not expect to find 

 roots growing from leaves ; but they do so in certain 

 ferns. And you can find plenty that grow from 

 stems. You will see them very well in the rhizomes, 

 or underground stems of the 

 bindweed, the couch grass, the 

 wood anemone and others. 

 (Figs. 41, 45). Compare also the 

 roots from bulbs and corrns 

 (Fig. 13, p. 1 6), or of tubers, as 

 those from a potato " eye " ; or 

 from the creeping stems which 

 grow upon the ground, such as 

 those of the creeping buttercup, 

 wild thyme, and the ground ivy. 

 (Fig. 14, p. 1 8.) This tendency 

 of stems to produce roots, just 

 as some roots have a ten- 

 dency to send up stems, is seen 

 very clearly when a gardener 

 Fig. 5 i.-Part ofstem of takes cuttings o f plants or 

 Watercress (Nasturtium 

 officinal*} producing roots. " layers " them. Parts of the 



* From the Latin " anttu/us," a ring. 



