76 
PLANT STUDIES 
emerge with 
great rapidity, 
and trees be- 
come covered 
with new foliage 
in a few days. 
From the sub- 
terranean stems 
the aerial parts 
come up so 
speedily that the 
surface of the 
ground seems to 
be covered suddenly with young vegetation. This sudden 
change from comparative rest to great activity has been 
well spoken of as the " awakening" of vegetation. 
FIG. 67. A potato plant, showing the subterranean tubers. 
After STRASBURGER. 
C. Stems bearing floral leaves 
54. The flower. The so-called 
"flowers" which certain plants 
produce represent another type of 
shoot, being stems with peculiar 
leaves. So attractive are flowers 
that they have been very much 
studied ; and this fact has led 
many people to believe that flowers 
are the only parts of plants worth 
studying. Aside from the fact 
that a great many plants do not 
produce flowers, even in those 
that do the flowers are connected 
with only one of the plant pro- 
cesses, that of reproduction. 
Every one knows that flowers are 
exceedingly variable, and names 
FIG. 08. The rootstock of Solo- 
mon's seal ; from the under side 
roots are developed ; and on the 
upper side are seen the scars 
which mark the positions of the 
successive aerial branches which 
bear the leaves. The advanc- 
ing tip is protected by scales 
(forming a bud), and the posi- 
tions of previous buds are in- 
dicated by groups of ring-like 
scars which mark the attach- 
ment of former scales. Advanc- 
ing in front and dying behind 
such a rootstock may give rise 
to an indefinite succession of 
aerial plants. After GRAY. 
