MISS A. M. GELDART ON STRATIOTES ALOIDES, L. iSj 
delicate, white, transparent offstanding filaments which, soon 
after they are taken from the water, collapse and wither away ; 
they are probably the vessels of absorption. This part of 
the root is well figured in Ger. em. p. 825. Winter records 
(‘ Phytologist,’ 1861, p. 154) “ in ditches near Ranworth 
its roots were seen 3 feet deep in the mud, and 6 feet long.” 
A sprout of leaves appearing in the centre of the upper 
surface of the rootstock is followed in succession by several 
similar sprouts. Nolte says that the object of the sprout of 
leaves seems to be not only to cover and separate the new 
growing buds, but also to support the plant in equilibrium 
when floating, otherwise it would be drawn down into deep 
water by the decay of the outer leaves which suck themselves 
full of water. 
Around the central mass and in the white fleshy part lie 
many longish small germs (Nolte t. i., figs. 2 and 4) which, 
gradually swelling with the growth of the plant, protrude 
with a pointed end and develop into stalked buds. Growing 
out between the leaves on their stalks, these buds are longish- 
lanceolate, acute, in transverse section bluntly triangular, 
i to 1 1 inches long. The stalks are cylindrical, somewhat 
compressed, surrounded at the base by a membranous keel- 
shaped folded sheath. The vertical section of a bud (Nolte, 
t. i., fig. 6) shows that on the outside it consists of closely 
superposed, obtuse, entire-edged, thick-skinned scales which 
enclose a crowd of sharply serrated leaves, lying thickly 
round one another. On the base of this bud where it is joined 
to its stalk, there is a roundish thickening and immediately 
above this a slight constriction ; this thickening has a smaller 
somewhat differently coloured inner mass, around which on 
the upper side lie singly minute roundish germs, which in the 
further progress of the plant develop into new buds. Pointing 
downwards, and more on the under part of the external 
fleshy mass, lie small cylindrical germs which afterwards 
grow into roots. Each of these buds is formed just like the 
mother plant, and is capable of growing into a perfect plant. 
In autumn the plant sinks down apparently urged by the 
approach of frost, and hibernates lying on the mud, where 
VOL. VIII. 
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