That Part of them that lyes within the Root, is of a White Colour 
inclining to Yellow, a little before they leave the Sheath, and take on 
the Green. 
They feem all fmooth and foft the touch, and they are a little ob» 
tiife or blunt at the ends. 
In what has been hitherto mentioned all the Leaves agree, but there 
other things that arc peculiar to them, according to the two different 
States in which they may appear. 
In a flowring Plant the Leaves begin to Spier or comcTforth,irabout 
the latter end of September $ they all afeend by one fide of the CauliSy 
and arc never obferv’d to furround it. 
• 
In two Plants that flower’d late this laft Seafon, the Leaves of the 
one were eight Inches high, and thofc of the other, feven, on the 
loth. Day of N.ov, T^ecem. 25. the longeft mcafur’d 1 5 Inches, and 
the other a little above 13. Feb. 3. the longeft Leaves meafured juft 
22 Inches, the warmth of the Parlour having drawn them out to this 
great and unufual Length. The Tops of thefe long Leaves began to 
wither and dry, about the latter end of February ^ and then I pulled 
them out of the Pots where they grew, they were both about half. an 
Inch broad ; and in the firft they were four in Number, in the other 
five. Mr. Fairchild alTured me he feldom obfeiv’d above four, and 
never fix in a flowring Plant, 
In Mr. Fairchild’s Garden, the Roots that flower’d laft Autumnl 
had Leaves from ii to 13 Inches in length, March 7. 1724-5. ftill 
frefh and very green j and 3 quarters of an Inch in breadth. 
In a Plant that does not flower, the Leaves appear above Ground 
about the middle or end of Auguji, 
The number of Leaves in fuch Plants is uncertain, differing accord- 
ing to the Age of the Root : A Surculusoi Off-fett of the &ft Year, 
has for the moft part, but one long narrow Leaf. I once obferv'd two 
in a flowring Plant, and fometimes the fecond fhews no Leaf above 
the Tunica. About the latter end of November, as the Roots increafe 
in Age, they have gradually two, three, four, five, and fometimes 
even fix, or feven Leaves j but I do not know if ever they exceed that 
Number; and I am apt to believe that when a Plant has once fix 
Leaves, the Year following it will certainly Flower. 
I cannot determine the Hcighth or Length of the Leaves, having 
not hitherto had an opportunity of obferving them fufficiently in all 
their 
