ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE BEET-ROOT. 275 
Extracts and Abstracts. 
ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE BEET-ROOT. 
By T. Lestisovupots. 
Tue root of Beta vulgaris, on account of its importance in agri- 
cultural and industrial economy, has often been studied. Its strue- 
ture, however, never seems to have been properly understood. 
The e part which bears the yee radical leaves, the “ neck,” 
although Doe is a true stem, and terminates in a bud which does 
not usually elongate except during the second year of oie If 
a vertical section is made through this abbreviate d stem, it is seen 
contract irregular fibrous unions and fina ally consolidate into a cen- 
tral axis. Outside the central axis are fibro-vascular bundles 
separated by medullary ae which are narrower as they are more 
external; their thickness also diminishes from above downwards. 
ina neopets section of a fully- own Beet. re eg akale = 
m 
r 
bundle to another ; lower down still, the arty which occupy the 
centre and obliterate the medulla by their fasio 
ometimes, however, the medullary spaces which separate the 
two primitive bundles, and which correspond to the cotyledons and 
e numerous rootlets originate, persist ; 
nd the central bundle is a pale zone becoming more coloured 
and more areolar on its outer side. pipe to this are circles of 
bundles separated from one eee r Sn Ilary zones. These 
bundles are composed of a internal o say portion formed of 
and of an he a transparent portion sometimes separated from the 
woody portion by a less consistent trace tissue ; it represents, 
therefore, the cortical element. 
ant of trans sparence, xtending from one medullary zone to 
another, or appearing to be interr upted, because they are Sy aha 
