1894. | The Bulb of the Adder’ s- Tongue. 63 
which the runners were so plentiful on May 30th, and where 
blossoms had been abundant earlier. These small bulbs were 
not more than a quarter of an inch long, and, mistaking them 
for seeds, they were cut open in search of the embryo. They 
proved to be bulbs, for within each there was a sprout formed 
of the single leaf, extending the length of the bulb, and root 
fibers were clustered at the base. 
These small seedlings had a loose husk or epidermis similar 
to that of the older ones, but not quite so dark in color. 
The mature bulbs had not softened since their time of blos- 
soming early in spring. They were as firm on November tst 
as on April 8th. 
On November 4th a microscopical examination of sections 
cut from bulbs of various ages was made. A vertical section 
of a mature bulb showed a sprout of a yellow color, made up 
of several layers running up through the flesh near one side 
(figs. 21, 22). The outer of these layers was formed by the 
two foliage leaves enclosing the bud of next spring’s flower. 
This flower bud was more than half as long as the whole bulb 
and its parts were well advanced. The perianth was nearly 
colorless, but the leaves were quite yellow. The stamens 
Were nearly three-eighths of an inch in length, of which the 
anther was more than half. The anthers were filled with pol- 
len, the grains of which were four times the size of the starch 
grains. The pistil was-five-sixteenths of an inch in length, 
the Ovary being one-eighth of an inchlong. The projections 
on the placentze from which the ovules are developed were 
seen and showed a dark center. 
After removin 
Seen to be made up of two modified leaves, or leaf scales, one 
makes it spongy on the other. These two tips, 
; » gave the impression that the root is a 
ing formed of modified leaves, which was after- 
rmed by studying the sections, and by comparison 
corm and bulb, and the examination of 
wards confi 
of the definitions of 
*xamples of each. 
_ #4 Section ¢ 
tip showed th 
which 
ut from the bulb a quarter of an inch below the 
© Sprout to be composed of concentric layers 
are the foliage leaves enclosing the perianth and other 
