9 
This is so from the very first, and we have here a marked differ- 
ence between seedlings of the genus Asparagus and those of 
many monocotylous families, such as the Juncacee and the 
Cyperacee. The hairs themselves are short and wonderfully 
persistent, densely covering the whole of the root with the 
exception of this apical part. The slit in the cotyledon occupies 
a slanting position facing upwards owing to the curving down 
of the short hypocotyl and the primary root towards the soil. The 
margins of the slit soon grow slightly, forming a somewhat leaf- 
like rim to the cavity which is enclosed (A, Fig. 3), and shortly 
afterwards the apex of the primary axis, capped by two sheathing 
leaves, makes its appearance from within. A little later there 
Fic. 3.—Asparagus medeoloides, Thunb. A, very young seedling. B, older 
stage. C, seedling one month old. H., hilum; S., seed; Cot.-sh., 
sheathing base of cotyledon; f. (1, 2, &c.), leaves of primary axis (Ist, 
2nd, &c.); Hyp., hypocotyl; Pr., primary root; Py., cladode; r.2, 
secondary root ; Sht. (1, 2, &c.), axis (primary, secondary, &c.). 
also emerges a second structure, at the side of the developing 
stem away from the cotyledon and seed. This is the first leaf 
of the shoot, which invariably remains below ground at its base, 
partially enclosed by the cotyledon (B, Fig. 3). That this may 
be so the epicotyl is never elongated, even when the seeds are 
germinated at a depth of an inch or more below ground ; in such 
a case one or two internodes of the basal portion of the axis 
become longer than usual in order to reach the surface. In two 
of the species examined, namely, A. medeolotdes and A. plumosus, 
the second leaf of the shoot is also habitually retained by the 
side of the first, through the suppression of both the epicotyl 
and the internode immediately above it. These hypogeous leaves 
2 
