62 



sides tills we see the base of another flowering stem (F), 

 which has been developed this year (1890), and finally a 

 young shoot (S), which undoubtedly will produce a third in- 

 florescence next year. This young shoot (S in the Fig.) cor- 

 responds to the young plant (Fig. 14), which is preparing to 

 flower the following year, but with the difference that the last 

 one (Fig. 14) contains the whole main axis, while the other 

 one (S in Fig. 15) has been formed from a bud in the axil of 

 one of the basal leaves of the older plant, and is then merely 

 a lateral shoot on the main axis, now only represented by 

 the very short rhizome. 



Ranunculus recurvatus. 



It was to be supposed that the germination of this species 

 would be the same as described for the preceding one, R. 

 abortivus, and it proves to be the case. There are, however, 

 a few characters in which they differ, and these are easily dis- 

 covered if we compare the drawing of R, recurvatus (Plate 

 VI, Fig. 16) with that of 7?. abortivus (Fig. 12). The number 

 of secondary roots from the base of the hypocotyl is larger in 

 R,. abortivus than in R. recurvatus, the cotyledons have rather 

 longer petioles in R. recurvatus, and finally the yonvig leaves 

 are hirsute in R, recurvatus, whereas they are almost glabrous, 

 or at least the blade is so, in R. abortivus. The margin of 

 the leaves when young is crenate in 5. abortivus, but in the 

 other species it is serrate or sometimes even three to five- 

 lobed. The full-grown plant of R. recurvatus shows, how- 

 ever, the same structure as do those o{ R. abortivus in regard 

 to the short rhizome and the profuse development of fibrous 

 secondary roots, while the primary root fades early, as does 

 the hypocotyl. 



DelpJiinimn nudicaule. 



The very peculiar germination of this plant has already 

 been mentioned by several authors, and Bernhardi* has 

 figured a similar case from a specimen of D. fissiim \V. K. 



♦Bernhardi; Ueber die merkwurdigsten Verschiedenheiten des entwick. 



« 



(^ 



Pflanzen-embryo. ^nnaea, Vol. 7, 1832. 



