214 THE STOBY OF THE PLANTS. 



from a seed, which was embedded in a carpel or 

 seed-Hke fruitlet on the ripe red swollen recep- 

 tacle which we commonly call a strawberry. 

 This seed germinates, and produces a seedling, 

 which puts forth small green leaves, divided 

 into three leaflets each at the end of a long and 

 slender leaf- stalk. As it grows older, however, 

 besides its own tufted perennial stem or stock, 

 it sends out on every side long branches or 

 runners, which are in fact horizontal or creeping 

 stems in search of new rooting places. These 

 stems run along the ground for some inches, 

 and then root afresh. At each such rooting- 

 point, the plant sends up a fresh bunch of leaves, 

 which gradually grows into a distinct colony, by 

 the decay of the intermediate portion or runner. 

 Again, this new plant itself in turn sends forth 

 runners in every direction all round it ; so that 

 often t. ground is covered for yards by a net- 

 work of strawberry plants, all ultimately derived 

 from a single seedling. Theoretically, we must 

 regard them all as severed parts of one and the 

 same plant, accidentally divided from the main 

 stem, since only the union of two different 

 parents can give us a totally distinct individual. 

 But practically they are separate and indepen- 

 dent plants, competing with one another thence- 

 forth for food, soil, and sunshine. 



A great many plants are habitually propagated 

 in such indirect ways, as well as by the normal 

 method of flowering and seeding. Indeed, it is 

 difficult to separate the two processes of mere 

 growth, as shown in budding or branching, and 

 reproduction by subdivision, as shown in the 



