MONOCOTYLEDONE^. 



The foregoing description of the physical consti- 

 tution of bulbous stems will be found generally 

 correct; but that they are occasionally subject to 

 aberrations of growth is very manifest. It has been 

 assumed that the radicle collet of a bulb is for the 

 most part stationary, increasing in bulk, or annually 

 divided by the development of parts of itself in a 

 peculiar manner, as has already been noticed in 

 treating of the tulip, c. But sometimes irregula- 

 rities occur, either from the bulb being misplaced 

 in the ground, from a wound, or from peculiar ex- 

 citement ; because we meet with bulbs, especially of 

 those having double flowers, that are irregularly 

 formed, and producing monstrosities which are ex- 

 ceptions to the rule previously explained. We have 

 now before us two tulip bulbs, one of which, instead 

 of being increased in the usual way, (Fig. 17,) is 

 elongated, as in Fig. 22, in order that a detachment of 

 the collet may take a deeper station in the soil ; so 

 that in its future growth, the increase of new offsets 

 and roots, will be from the point A. fig. 22, instead 

 of, or as well as, from the point B. We have also a 

 hyacinth bulb elongated downward in the same man- 

 ner ; and it is well known, that oifsets from the tulip, 

 Lachenalia, and Hcemanthus often appear among 

 and even on, the bases of the fractured leaves of 

 these plants. These instances only go to prove that 

 though nature be generally uniform in her processes, 

 she will, under the expedients of cultivation, become 

 subject to variations which are purely accidental. 



