288 AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURAUST 



from its original upright position towards a horizontal one (Plates 

 VI. to VIII). The primary root soon decays leaving a scar at 

 the base of the hypocotyl. The cotyledons also drop off and 

 about the beginning of June, the leaves wither, there remaining 

 only the hypocotyl and the tuberous epicotyl with its secondary 

 roots. At the beginning of the second season a slender rootstock 

 is produced from the apex of the tuberous epicotyl, and later a 

 second tuber, with its cluster of leaves is formed at the tip of 

 this rootstock. One specimen was found which had produced such 

 a tuber the first season (Plate VIII.); this, however, was 

 only separated from the original tuber by a short rhizome. 

 These facts seem to show clearly enough that the tuberous growth 

 is produced from the epicotyl and not from the hypocotyl in part 

 at least as is usually the case. 



II. — Syndesmon Thauctroides. 



The following is a chronological table of the nomenclature 

 of this species. 



SYNDESMON. Hoffmg. Flora, 15: Part 2 Intell. Bl. 6:36 

 1832. 



Syndesmon thauctroides (Linn.) Hoffmg. Flora 15: Part 

 2 Intell. Bl. 6, 36, 1832. 



Anemone thalictroides Linn. Sp. PI. 562, 1753. 



Thalictrum anemonoides Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. i, 322, 1803, 

 also DC. Prod, i, 15. 



Anemonella thalictroides Spach. Hist. Veg. 7:260. 



Thalictrum caule unifloro Clayton Fl. Virg. p. 43. 



Ranunculus thalictri foliis grumosa radici. Bannister Cat. 

 Stirp. Virg. 



Ranunculus Nemorasiis Aquilegiae foliis, Virginiana, As- 

 phodeli radice. Pluk. Phyt. Tab. VI., 6. 



The development of the seedlings was closely observed in 

 order to discover the origin of the tuberous roots found in the 

 adult plant. The cotyledons are epigeal and noticeably veined. 

 Their petioles are channelled on the inner face and the cotyledons 

 themselves are divaricate. The epicotyl is small and usually gives 

 rise to but one leaf the first year. The hypocotyl is rather long 

 and bears at its lower end the primary root, which, however, soon 

 disappears. A number of persistent secondary roots are also 

 produced near the base of the hypocotyl (Plate IX, Fig. i). The 



