OBSERVATIONS ON THE ^lORPHOLOGY OF THE UN- 

 DERGROUND STEMS OF SYAIPLOCARPUS AND 

 LYSICHITON, TOGETHER WITH SOME 

 NOTES ON GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRI- 

 BUTION AND RELATIONSHIP. 



C. Otto Rosendahl. 



Some years ago while engaged in the study of the embryology 

 of Sy>iiplocaypus foetid us the writer noticed that a number of 

 inflorescences found inclosed by the leaf bases at the apex of the 

 rhizome were more or less in a state of decay. Upon removing 

 the foliage leaves one by one it was observed that one or two 

 inflorescences in good condition were succeeded regularly by two 

 to four which were blasted. The peculiar behavior of these well- 

 protected inflorescences led to a more thorough investigation of 

 the structure and the growth of the rhizomes with a view to find- 

 ing out if possible the cause of the early breaking down oi a ma- 

 jority of the flowering shoots. 



In the meantime opportunity was also offered to investigate 

 the underground stems of Lysicliiton, a monotypic aroid genus of 

 western North America, eastern Asia and Japan. This plant bears 

 considerable outward resemblance to Symplocarpus, is character- 

 ized by a similar mephitic odor, and has about the same habit of 

 growth. In view ,of the fact that apparently no careful morpho- 

 logical work had been done on fresh material of either species a 

 detailed comparative study was deemed worth while. 



The germination of the seeds and the earliest stages in the 

 development of the underground stems have not been observed 

 enough in detail to present a full account thereof at this time. A 

 large number of germinating seeds are now under observation 

 and a brief account will be given later. A number of young 

 seedlings have been seen, all of which show that the rhizomes 

 grow ascending or erect from the outset. L^pon germination a 

 varying number of scale leaves (2-3 in Lysichiton, apparently a 

 greater number in Syuiplocarpus) appear before any foliage leaves 



