370 Zinssows WITS plants 



plant. It is essentially, however, a special kind 

 of runner. This type of propagation is common. 

 463. Roots may act as runners. The red rasp- 

 berry (Fig. 389) and the blackberry are typical 

 examples. Such plants propagate by means of 

 suckers, which are sprouts or shoots arising about 



Pig. 389. 

 Suckers of red raspberry. 



the base of the plant from subterranean roots. 

 In common usage, however, any sprout arising 

 through the soil from near the base of a plant 

 is called a sucker, whether it springs from a root 

 or a rootstock. Suckering is one of the com- 

 monest means of extending the plant colony; the 

 teacher will recall the lilac, sour or pie cherry, 

 witch-hazel, some varieties of Indian corn, elders, 

 and, in fact, most common bushes. 



Suggestions. ^Let the teacher assign each pupil some familiar 

 bush or other plant, asking him to determine if it has any other 

 means of propagation than by seeds. If the plant has suckers, he 

 should determine if they arise from true roots or from rhizomes. 



