MONOCOTYLEDONEJE. 47 



This property of the tulip producing both seeds 

 and offsets at the same time is common to many 

 other plants ; and caused by an extra vigour, derived 

 from favourable circumstances of soil or situation. 

 These different powers of reproduction are recipro- 

 cally dependent on each other. If the seeds be fully 

 and perfectly matured, few or no offsets are produced, 

 and should the flower fail or be destroyed, an extra- 

 ordinary number of offsets are put forth. 



The radicle plate is a depressed cone of dense cel- 

 lular matter in which the incipient gems lie invisibly 

 embedded. It always appears as the base of the 

 largest division of the bulb, and the nucleus or source 

 whence all gems, whether primary or secondary, 

 successively issue, without any notable diminution 

 thereof. Under a common microscope its substance is 

 uniform ; not visibly granular, as might be expected ; 

 the parts composing it being so blended together that 

 they cannot be distinguished till they are resolved 

 into principals or discharged as offsets. From its 

 under surface, and particularly from the edges, the 

 roots come forth ; appearing to belong only to the 

 superior gem which is in the act of expansion ; be- 

 cause, as observed above, they are exserted and decay 

 together. The next year's gem is furnished with 

 roots of its own, and has no dependence on those of 

 its predecessor, they being very attenuated, and only 

 annual. 



The leaves of the tulip are comparatively few in 

 number: some of the outer range are short, incras- 



