SUBTERRANEAN SHOOTS 



31 



may be termed " axis iii." The flowering stem — axis in. — has 

 below its terminal flower several bracts, beneath which are a 

 limited number of long, narrow foliage-leaves (/) with broad 

 basal sheaths ; and still lower down the stem a few sheathing 

 scales succeed. Already the base of this flowering axis in. is 

 swelling, above the insertion of its lowest scales, to form a new 

 corm, so that one slender internode intervenes between the 



Figs. 49-52. — Yearly history of Garden Crocus. Fig. 49. — Plant resting in winter. 

 Fig. 50. — Plant flowering. Fig. 51. — Plant fruiting. Fig. 52. — Plant preparing for 

 winter-rest after fruiting. 



older corm and the younger one. The new corm is growing 

 at the expense of the food manufactured by the foliage-leaves, 

 and also the nutriment which is being supplied by the mother- 

 corm (axis ii.). The latter is gradually shrivelling up and 

 parting with its contents. In the axil of the uppermost foliage- 

 leaf of the flowering stem (axis in.) is a bud (p), which will 

 next year develop into a flowering axis (axis iv.) and will pro- 

 duce a new basal corm. Thus each year a new corm arises 

 above the preceding one, and represents the uppermost axillary 

 branch of its predecessor, by which it is fed. Therefore, 

 axis II. is a branch of the shrivelled axis i., which is to be seeii 

 in the resting corm during winter (fig. 49). Occasionally 

 several axillary buds develop on an axis, and each produces a 



