STRAWBERRY 291 



529. Here it should be said that in the Strawberry 

 while the fruits are developing the globular flower axis 

 enlarges very greatly, and its tissues become soft and 

 juicy, and this is what we eat with so much relish. So 

 the "strawberry" as we eat it is not a 

 fruit properly speaking. It is a thickened A' 7'' 

 flower axis (stem), covered with the tiny il 

 proper fruits, popularly supposed to be ^.i 



^^^^^- Fig. 165.— Fra- 



garia ("straw- 



Laboratory Studies. Note: In connection true fruit), 

 with the anatomical studies of special plants 

 suggested below the student is referred to the general studies 

 on the cell, tissues, and tissue systems, already taken up in 

 Chapters I, II, and III respectively. 



In working out the following studies the student should have 

 before him specimens of the three plants named so as to make 

 comparative studies of the structures represented by them. — 



(1) Ranunculus, (2) Alisma, and (3) Fragaria. Where these 

 cannot be obtained, acceptable substitutions may be made as 

 follows: for (1) Myosurus, MagnoUa, Caltha, Hepatica, 

 Anemone; (2) Sagittaria; (3) Potentilla, Rubus, Geum, 

 Duchesnea. 



(a) Make a macroscopic examination of the stems (of the 

 sporophytes) noting their shape, nodes, branching, bud and 

 leaf arrangement, and follow with a microscopic examination of 

 (i) a cross-section to show the location and structure of the vas- 

 cular bundles, and the distribution of green and colorless 

 tissues; and (ii) a longisection to show the tissues, epidermis, 

 hairs and stomata. 



(6) Examine the roots (of the sporophytes) and note whether 

 there is one main root (tap root) with lateral rootlets, or a 

 cluster of roots arising from about the same point on the stem. 

 Note the shape, size and character of the roots and rootlets. 

 Make cross- and longisections of the younger and older parts 

 and a longisection of the tip of a root, to study the location and 

 character of the vascular bundles, the kinds and distribution 

 of tissues, the origin of lateral roots, the character of the root 

 cap, etc. 



