452 Vegetation of Plants having solid Bulbs, 



thereof 70 ft. in circiunference ; the branch circumference of the 

 hickory being 90 ft. 



A little further on appears a castellated wall, beautifully 

 planted with magnolias, Sophbra japonica, Edwardsm grandiflora, 

 and E. microphylla; myrtles, camellias, iVerium splendens, pome- 

 granates, with a vine at the extremity (a never-failing sweet-water 

 grape) ; and a great profusion of other ornamental plants, too 

 numerous for insertion. 



Such is the improved and flourishing state of horticulture in 

 this quarter, that I had the honour of being adjudged a beauti- 

 fully ornamented ^silver prize cup, of great value, given by the 

 high sheriff of this county to the Limerick Horticultural So- 

 ciety at their last meeting ; which cup was awarded to me by a 

 majority of nine prizes. 



The i^icus elastica, which you have mentioned, stood out in 

 the open air until Christmas, when it was killed by the frost. 

 The yucca has stood in the open air these 40 years. 



Adare, April 6. 1836. 



Art. III. On the Vegetation of Plants havi?ig solid Bulbs ; and par- 

 ticularly on that of the Saffron {Cruciis saliviis) ; also on the Func- 

 tions of JBidbs in general. By Dr. Augustus Trinchinetti. 

 Translated from the Italian. . 



It appears to me so very extraordinary that so litde should be 

 known of the vegetation and use of solid, or tuberous, bulbs, 

 as they may be called ; that 1 trust that I shall be excused for 

 offering to the public the result of a few experiments which I 

 have made on the subject. Having chosen the crocus for ma- 

 king observations on, I shall speak first, and most diffusely, of 

 that plant. 



The bulb of the saffron (Crocus sativus), examined in its dor- 

 mant state, consists of a parenchymatous starchy substance; which 

 forms a flattish globular body, surrounded by dry, loosely fibred 

 coats, succeeding each other like scales, and forming funnels 

 placed one within the other, and gradually decreasing in size, 

 which can be easily separated, but which are all attached at their 

 base. If you take away these membranous funnels, you will find 

 a solid whitish bulb within them, somewhat compressed in the 

 upper part, and marked horizontally with circular lines, which 

 are nothing more than the bases of the membranous funnels, or 

 coats, which have been thrown off by the bulb, or taken away 

 from it. In the centre of the upper part of this bulb, or near 

 the centre of it, there are three, or sometimes even more, cones, 

 formed of finer funnel-shaped coats, under each of which ap- 

 pears a small tubercle, that is the germ of the offset, or new bulb, 



