428 



BOTANICAL GAZETTE 



[may 



J 



separates from the base and readily gives rise to a new plant. 

 Between the two parts is a narrow neck which breaks easily when 

 the bulbil is ripe. The young bulbil has a small apical meristem 

 at its tip, and as it grows produces decussate pairs of protuberances, 

 which in their relation to the bulbil axis resemble foliar organs, 

 but in maturity differ more or less from typical leaves. The 

 base has three pairs of these and the bulbil proper about six. 



From the bulbil primordium there arise, as described by Hegel- 

 maier from external appearances, first a pair of small leaves, 

 laterally situated, but soon displaced toward the stem apex; then 

 from the growing point between these a median pair, and soon 

 after them another lateral pair, not displaced. The median pair, 

 especially its abaxial member, is much the largest. This larger 



A— « 



3 



3 



C--6 



--4 



Figs. 1-4.— Fig. 1, side view of bulbil base; X3; fig. 2, bulbil and base from upper 

 side; X3; fig. 3, bulbil proper from lower side; X2.5; leaves numbered in order of 

 appearance; 26, " supporting " leaf; fig. 4, cross-section of tip of bulbil; leaves 

 numbered in order of appearance; X 10. 



outer leaf becomes the so-called " supporting" or "cover" leaf of 



the bulbil 



Hegelmaier was unable 



the further axis of the bulbil is the direct continuation of the 



primordium, and the supporting 

 whether the supporting leaf is 



therefore truly 



or 



the direct continuation of the 



mm 



truly 



The first leaves of the bulbil proper are dorsal and ventral; 

 the second pair, which are lateral in origin, gradually turn their 

 upper edges outward and assume a dorsiventral relation ; the third 

 pair are median, long, and narrow (figs. 2, 3). These three 

 pairs of leaves are fleshv, and the leaves of the second pair are 



much modified in 



remaining leaves 



