Embryo in Lilaea subnlata , H. B, K. 
5 
General Morphology of the Young Plant. 
In Fig. 2 is shown a median longitudinal section of a 
young plant with the apex prolonged into the first floral 
spike ( x ), and the two basal pistillate flowers (?) already 
formed. The stem itself is very short, and made up of nearly 
uniform parenchymatous tissue, which is traversed by the 
vascular bundles running into the leaves and the young 
inflorescence ; short bundles are also given off to the basal 
flowers. The arrangement of the parts in a more advanced 
stage can be seen in Fig. i, where several secondary in- 
florescences have formed. 
The number of roots is very large. According to Hiero- 
nymus, there is usually a secondary root on each side of 
the cotyledon, and the number formed from the later nodes 
varies with the size of the plant. No special study was made 
of the origin of these secondary roots, beyond noting that 
they form deep down within the tissue of the stem near the 
base of the leaves and close to a vascular bundle. They are 
consequently well developed before they finally break through 
the overlying tissues. The structure of the roots and the 
arrangement of the primary tissues are only briefly treated by 
Hieronymus 1 , but he gives very accurate figures which make 
it perfectly clear that the arrangement of the tissues is that of 
the typical Monocotyledons, and these points have been 
confirmed by the writer. The very distinct plerome-cylinder, 
showing about five rows of cells in longitudinal section, is 
separated from the root-cap by a group of cells which are 
the common initials for epidermis and cortex. There is 
a separate group of initials for the root-cap. Hieronymus’ 
figures would indicate a single initial cell for the plerome, but 
he has not stated this in the text ; my own preparations 
make this seem not improbable, but it was not possible to 
decide the matter positively. 
The number of squamulae is variable, and they do not 
1 Monografia de Lilaea, PL IV. 
