6o 



/ 



'1 



ground axis, upon which a large bud has been developed at 

 the side of the base of the stem. This bud, so much larger 

 than the other ones, of which four are visible in the figure, 

 situated a little higher up on the stem, alternating like the 

 leaves, in the axils of which they have been developed— this 

 bud will produce in the following year a series of leaves and 

 a flowering stem. The smaller buds will merely produce -^ 



leafy shoots, of which one has been shown in the same figure, i 



but it is to be supposed that they might be of a certain im- 

 portance to the plant, if, for instance, the large bud should be i^ 

 injured, they might then replace it and get a further develop- 

 ment, producing not only leaves but also flowering stems. 

 The first leaves which are riow developed upon these short, | 

 lateral shoots are merely scale-like. 



i 



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^ 



Ranimctihis abortivus. 



Germinating plantlets of this species were exceedingly 

 common during the month of April in shaded places in the 

 woods, along the shore of the Potomac, in the vicinity of Wash- 

 ington. They occurred abundantly, together with older 

 plants, and were easily distinguished from other species by 

 the characteristic shape of their leaves. Fig. lO in Plate V 

 shows a germinating plantlet, in which the cotyledons are ■ 



elliptical, obtuse, shortly petioled and united at their bases, * 



forming a sheath around the plumule. There is a distinct, i 



straight hypocotyl (C), and the primary root (R) is long, but ^ 



rather thin and not branched. The same is observed in re- ^' 



gard to the secondary roots, w^htch seem to have been devel- . - ^ 



oped contemporarily, one at each side of the primary root. 

 Only one leaf is developed at this stage, and its form accords 

 entirely with that of the later ones, being reniform or some- ^ 



times almost cordate. 



Another germinating plantlet, a little older, has been 

 figured in Plate V, Fig. ii, merely differing from the last- 

 mentioned in having an additional secondary root (r^), which 

 has come out behind the primary one. Otherwise there is no 

 difference, but as soon as the second leaf appears a great 

 change will be observed in regard to the growth of this very 



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