1 3 2 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
GEOPHILOUS PLANTS OF OHIO, II. 
Frederick J. Tyler. 
The underground parts of plants are often of value as a means 
of characterization, and if the plant is a weed they become of the 
greatest importance ; as the worst weeds are almost invariably 
geophytes. Very little information is given in most of the 
manuals upon this subject, and what is given is not always 
satisfactory. 
Figure /. 
The terms used in describing geophytes are in every day use, 
except one — the crown. This term is applied to an herbaceous 
perennial which has but one upright stalk the first year. This 
dies to the surface of the ground at the end of the season, but 
the short, upright, underground stem survives. It then sends 
up lateral branches, which in some cases grow out several feet, 
in others only an inch or so before coming to the surface. This 
branching, however, usually takes place in the Autumn and 
often the entire crown of lateral branches is formed some time 
before the parent plant is cut down by frost. 
The following notes, and others, to be given later, are 
intended to supplement the notes on Geophilous Plants of Ohio 
in the O. S. U. Naturalist, 1:21 : 
Hypericum ascyron L. A large wood)- root, surmounted by a 
close crown. 
