McDonald: Broad -leaved Wood Garlic. 



253 



position of the blade, as already described. From this time 

 till about the end of June, they manufacture food stuffs to 

 store in their bases. The flowers open in May and June, and 

 by then the old bulbs have decayed; and the new ones are 

 rapidly forming. The leaves die in July, the peduncle remain- 

 ing a little while longer to allow the seeds to ripen. \Mien the 

 seeds have ripened and been shed the peduncle deca\'s, and 

 nothing of the plant is then to be seen above ground for the 

 period of rest — four to six months. 



A good mature bulb will measure from 2J to 2J inches in 

 length, and be about | of an inch in its broadest diameter, 

 though the average is rather below this. A section will shew 

 that one side is somewhat concave, and the other convex, but 

 often with a groove running down the convex side. If 

 examined during the resting period, the^^ will be found some- 

 what as follows :- — From their bases a ring of thick contractile 

 roots grow obliquely downwards. \Miere these join the 

 abbreviated stem several scars occur, one being that of the 

 protective scale leaf of last season, the next below, that of the 

 old bulb — from this scar a ring of rough fibres encircle the new 

 bulb ; the uppermost circular scar is that of the outer foliage 

 leaf of last season, and within this, on one side of the bulb, is 

 the triangular scar of last season's peduncle ; and lastl}-, the 

 new bulb itself. Near the tip of the bulb to one side is a U- 

 shaped slit, which represents the summit of the sheathing por- 

 tion of the innermost foliage leaf of last season. Every leaf 

 is sheathing at its base, hence the circular leaf scars. The 

 bud lies at the base inside. After growing up the tube, the new 

 leaves and inflorescence emerge through the slit to continue 

 their passage upwards through the soil. 



In addition to multiplying by seed, there is a steady annual 

 vegetative increase. An adult bulb often gives rise to two new 

 ones. When this^has been the case the scar of the previous 

 inflorescence will^be seen between them. These multiplying 

 bulbs have three foliage leaves, as will be clear from the dia- 

 grams (figs. 6, 7, 10, 11). The outer of these foliage leaves 

 (f^) encloses the inflorescence, and another leaf (f-) — at least 

 while young, the other leaf (f^) is not enclosed by (f^). The 

 bases of leaves f- and f^' form the two new bulbs (twin bulb), 

 against possible gnawing enemies. To my mind, they are 

 encircling one of the new bulbs, and the inflorescence (scape) 

 scar, but not the other bulb. 



A little consideration will make it clear that the inflores- 



iqog July 1. 



