﻿T. 
  Holm 
  — 
  Vitality 
  of 
  some 
  Annual 
  Plants. 
  305 
  

  

  succeeded 
  in 
  finding 
  any 
  special 
  observations 
  in 
  the 
  literature, 
  

   and 
  as 
  he 
  has 
  had 
  the 
  opportunity 
  of 
  observing 
  a 
  few 
  cases 
  of 
  

   that 
  kind, 
  they 
  seem 
  to 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  some 
  interest, 
  at 
  least 
  

   locally. 
  

  

  Hypericum 
  nudicaule 
  Walt. 
  (H. 
  Sarothra 
  Michx.) 
  is 
  un- 
  

   doubtedly 
  typically 
  annual, 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  individuals 
  were, 
  how- 
  

   ever, 
  collected 
  late 
  in 
  the 
  fall, 
  which 
  seemed 
  to 
  prove 
  an 
  

   exception. 
  The 
  base 
  of 
  one 
  of 
  these 
  specimens 
  is 
  figured 
  on 
  

   plate 
  X, 
  fig. 
  1, 
  and 
  we 
  see 
  here 
  two 
  densely 
  leaved 
  branches 
  

   proceeding 
  from 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  stem, 
  and 
  probably 
  

   developed 
  in 
  the 
  axils 
  of 
  the 
  cotyledons. 
  These 
  shoots 
  with 
  

   numerous 
  imbricate 
  leaves 
  might 
  be 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   winter 
  over 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  year 
  to 
  give 
  rise 
  to 
  flowers 
  ; 
  

   the 
  root-system 
  in 
  these 
  individuals 
  was 
  unusually 
  strong, 
  show- 
  

   ing 
  not 
  only 
  a 
  primary 
  root, 
  but 
  also 
  a 
  few, 
  and 
  rather 
  strong, 
  

   lateral 
  ones. 
  

  

  Another 
  example 
  is 
  Delphinium 
  consolida 
  L., 
  which 
  as 
  far 
  

   as 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  author 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  recorded 
  as 
  otherwise 
  than 
  

   annual 
  in 
  Europe 
  and 
  here. 
  The 
  plant 
  is 
  rather 
  rare 
  in 
  the 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  Washington, 
  but 
  occurs 
  as 
  escaped 
  from 
  cultivation 
  

   on 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  Potomac. 
  It 
  was 
  observed 
  here 
  to 
  vary 
  

   from 
  annual 
  to 
  perennial, 
  although 
  both 
  forms 
  were 
  growing 
  

   together, 
  and 
  the 
  perennial 
  form 
  showed 
  a 
  strong, 
  persistent 
  

   primary 
  root 
  and 
  several 
  flowering 
  stems, 
  besides 
  a 
  cluster 
  of 
  

   buds 
  for 
  the 
  following 
  year. 
  

  

  This 
  kind 
  of 
  variation 
  was 
  also 
  observed 
  in 
  Cyperus 
  flaves- 
  

   cens 
  L., 
  a 
  plant, 
  which 
  is 
  rather 
  common 
  in 
  wet 
  places 
  around 
  

   Washington, 
  and 
  I 
  have 
  sometimes 
  met 
  with 
  individuals, 
  

   which 
  certainly 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  perennial. 
  One 
  of 
  these 
  is 
  fig- 
  

   ured 
  on 
  plate 
  X, 
  fig. 
  6, 
  and 
  shows 
  in 
  contrast 
  to 
  the 
  annual 
  

   type 
  a 
  distinct 
  rhizome 
  with 
  creeping 
  stolons, 
  from 
  the 
  nodes 
  

   of 
  which 
  several 
  strong 
  roots 
  proceed. 
  It 
  must 
  be 
  admitted 
  

   that 
  this 
  specimen 
  shows 
  the 
  general 
  aspect 
  of 
  a 
  perennial, 
  

   stoloniferous 
  Cyperus, 
  able 
  to 
  give 
  rise 
  to 
  new 
  individuals 
  by 
  

   a 
  vegetative 
  propagation. 
  Whether 
  this 
  species 
  has 
  been 
  

   recorded 
  as 
  perennial 
  also 
  in 
  other 
  countries, 
  I 
  do 
  not 
  know, 
  

   but 
  Lange* 
  mentions, 
  however, 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  he 
  has 
  collected 
  

   the 
  plant 
  in 
  France, 
  where 
  some 
  specimens 
  showed 
  " 
  tuberous 
  

   stolons," 
  and 
  therefore 
  questions 
  its 
  character 
  as 
  annual. 
  

   Grenier 
  and 
  G-odronf 
  have, 
  nevertheless, 
  described 
  the 
  plant 
  

   as 
  merely 
  annual. 
  It 
  might 
  be 
  mentioned 
  here, 
  that 
  a 
  similar 
  

   variation 
  also 
  exists 
  in 
  Ca/rex 
  cyperoides 
  L., 
  which 
  under 
  normal 
  

   conditions 
  is 
  truly 
  annual 
  ; 
  Lange 
  states 
  (1. 
  c. 
  p. 
  118) 
  that 
  the 
  

   periodical 
  disappearance 
  of 
  this 
  plant 
  in 
  several 
  parts 
  of 
  

   Europe 
  has 
  been 
  explained 
  by 
  the 
  fact, 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  able 
  to 
  veg- 
  

  

  * 
  Joh. 
  Lange 
  : 
  Haandbog 
  i 
  den 
  danske 
  Flora, 
  1886-88, 
  p. 
  116. 
  

   f 
  Grenier 
  et 
  Godron: 
  Flore 
  de 
  France, 
  vol. 
  iii, 
  1855. 
  

  

  