Saprophytic Monocotyledon. 
47 
External Morphology. 
The plant has a slender subterranean rhizome, closely 
beset with very small sheathing leaves (Fig. i). From this 
rises up the simple scape which bears a corymbose raceme 
of flowers at its apex. Attached to the rhizome are the 
lengthened stumps of one or two older scapes ; probably, then, 
Protolirion is a perennial. The successive scapes appear to 
arise in the axils of the lowest scales on the preceding 
scapes. 
As the plant is entirely devoid of chlorophyll all the leaves 
are reduced to small scales. On the rhizome and bases of 
the scapes they are sheathing and completely conceal the 
axis. Ascending the scape, the scales gradually become 
separated by longer internodes, lose their sheathing bases, 
and assume a longer and more slender form (Figs, r, 2). 
Long, delicate roots, very feebly branched, spring from the 
rhizome, and particularly from the base of the scape. (In 
Fig. 1 all the roots except the lowest two arise from the 
flowering axis.) 
Histology. 
1. The Root. 
I had very few intact roots at my disposal, in fact only 
some of those shown in Fig. 1. For the most part the 
terminal portions had been broken off. In the single apex 
investigated there were remains of a root-cap. Although the 
pieces of uninjured roots were of considerable length, there 
were no traces of haustoria. 
(1) The root is clothed externally by a single layer of cells 
with thin walls which represents the piliferous layer. There 
are no root-hairs . This layer soon becomes disintegrated 
and replaced functionally by — 
(2) The exodermis , which takes the form of a single layer of 
cells with thin suberized walls. No passage-cells were to be 
seen. This layer is succeeded by — 
