THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



141 



Gladiolus Corms. — Even the gardener is often unaware 

 of what is taking place in the soil about his plants. That many 

 interesting things are happening there may be assumed from 

 the behavior of the gladiolus corms. A majority of those 

 who plant gladiolus ''bulbs" in spring have the impression that 

 the stalk and ultimately a spike of flowers will rise up out of the 

 underground part just as the tulip flower grows from a tulip 

 bulb. But the gladiolus has a very different method of grow- 

 ing. The flower spike does not come from the corm planted. 

 Instead, when the corm begins to grow, it forms one or more 

 corms upon the old corm and not until after these are well de- 

 veloped and the old corm practically drained of its substance, 

 does the flowering spike push up. All corms, of course, are re- 

 garded as short, upright underground stems, and the new 

 corms are in the nature of branches. Whether the flowers 

 spring from the old or new corm depends entirely on whether 

 the food is transferred before or after flowering. While the 

 new corms are carrying on their work, other smaller bodies 

 called cormels and intended for reproduction are being formed 

 at the base of the new corms. These cormels are often borne 

 on short stalks somewhat like tubers are borne in other plants 

 and serve to indicate the general relationship that exists be- 

 tween all underground stems. 



