142 MINNESOTA ROTANICAL STUDIES. 



ing the stages of flowering. The shoot ends with a rather large 

 cream-colored spathe and an inflorescence. The spathe enwraps 

 the flowering shoot from the base to within a short distance be- 

 low the flowers, but is not fused with it at all. The two color- 

 less scale leaves that subtend the spathe are long, narrow and 

 triangular in cross section and show no trace of lamina. Since 

 they became enclosed by the leaf petioles, due to the deep place- 

 ment of the rhizome in the ground their function, whatever it 

 may have been, has been lost and they remain on the plant per- 

 haps for no other reason than that the plant has not been able 

 to get rid of them. 



In both genera the internode between the first and second leaf 

 of the renewal shoot is extremely short, and in this respect there 

 is no difference between them. In Syuiplocarl^us the internode 

 between the second leaf of the renew'al shoot and the spathe is 

 considerably elongated, measuring 15-20 cm., and the spathe is 

 borne close up to the flowers. In Lyslchifoii the internode be- 

 tween the second leaf of the renewal shoot and the lowermost 

 scale leaf, as well as the one between the two scale leaves and 

 the one between the upper scale leaf and the spathe are all 

 very short. In fact the two scale leaves and the spathe appear 

 to come out at the same level (Plate XXII. Fig. 5). The last inter- 

 node of the renewal shoot is comparatively very long, frecjuently 

 measuring 3-4 dm. 



In each genus vegetative buds are de\eloped in the axil of 

 the lowermost leaf of the renewal shoot, although their occurrence 

 is not as regular in Lysichiton as in Syuiplocarp\ts (Text-Figs. 2 

 and 4). It is probable that these buds are produced regularly, but 

 that they are arrested earlier in some cases than in others and that 

 on account of their small size they are readily overlooked. In no case 

 so far as has been possible to ascertain do they develop into 

 lateral shoots. The renewal shoot arises always in the axil of 

 the upper foliage leaf. 



The two diagrams shown in Text-Figures 1 and 3 respectively 

 illustrate the arrangement of members at the apex of the rhizome. 

 The concentric circles represent in each case the number of leaves 

 that can be distinctly recognized at any one time. From the two 

 diagrams it can readily be perceived that the 5/13 phyllotaxy 

 obtains in both genera. In Syuiplocarpiis it is difficult to make out 



