27 



Shortly .ittiT pollination the spatlic begins to decay and 

 wither and the spadix to swell. It becomes soft and spongy and 

 the individual fruits are covered with a papery skin-like sheath 

 under Avhich the seeds develop. These Avhen mature are hard, 

 roiuul, dark brimii and somewhat irregular in shape. In fact, 

 the\- look a little like pebbles or stones. When fully ripe they 

 break the sheath, fall to the ground and germinate the following 

 spring, giving rise to new plants. A parent plant may be found 

 having many seedlings coming up close around it. 



In germination a small pointed, closely coiled shoot first 

 appears above the ground. This is carefully wrapped in the 

 thin papery sheathing leaves. When about a week old this 

 shoot is about an inch in length. A few slender fibrous roots, 

 rather long and thin grow downward into the ground. As yet 

 there are not many roots to nourish the plant; these few primary 

 roots have thread-hke secondary^ roots. 



By the second week, the seedling has grown much larger and 

 the tip of the shoot has become freed from its papery sheath. 

 This however grows along with the young plant. Also by this 

 time a rootstock begins to develop. There are also many more 

 roots, long, thin and tapering. 



At the third week, the shoot has broken through both 

 sheathing leaves and is quite large. • At this time the seedling is 

 about four inches tall. It has severed its connection with the 

 remains of the seed by this time. From now on development 

 consists of growing larger and larger rapidly. This plant how- 

 ever does not bloom the first year. Nor am I able to tell by 

 actual observation, since my study has covered only a period of 

 five months, how many years elapse before the plant has grown 

 old enough to produce its first inflorescence. Probably the 

 flowers are produced the fourth year. 



That the plants develop more rapidly and better in warm, 

 light places is seen by the table given by Dr. Mackenzie in her 

 report before the Botanical Society in 191 1. Also in some speci- 

 mens which I brought in from the wood, the uncurled spire of 

 leaves, just barely sticking above the soil, soon came into full 

 leafage, in the warmth of the greenhouse. The plants had been 



