Oliver,— On Sar codes sanguined , Torr, 313 
beech-roots (generally dead) wrapped round with a weft of the 
same mycelium that formed the mycorhiza on the Monotropa , 
but never any haustoria. Drude 1 , who though he had found 
such connections, and figured them, has not been confirmed 
by Kamienski 2 . My own examination confirms Kamienski 
on this point. Sarcodes may safely I think be regarded, like 
Monotropa , as a saprophyte or humus-plant 3 . 
2. The Stem ,— This is everywhere hidden from view ; below 
by the imbricating scale-leaves, above by the bracts and 
flowers and by the flower-buds. It is very thick and succu- 
lent ; its diameter at different heights in the specimen drawn 
in Fig. 1 was 2-5 cm. at the base ; 4-5 cm. at a distance of 
10 cm. from the base ; then gradually tapering off towards 
the apex. The thickest portion corresponds to the thickest 
part of the ‘ bulb.’ The bulk of the stem is built up of a 
succulent parenchyma in which is disposed a ring of vascular 
bundles, which is somewhat nearer to the periphery than to 
the centre of the stem. In this specimen, in which the seed 
was not yet ripe, the parenchyma was everywhere well-stocked 
with starch grains. In their chemical and physical properties 
these grains are indistinguishable from those in the tissues of 
ordinary green plants. This I mention as Drude 4 finds the 
‘ starch grains ’ of Monotropa differing in certain respects from 
normal starch, and gives to the substance of which they are 
composed the name of Monotropin. The bulk of the starch 
in the stem of Sarcodes is employed in the ripening of the 
seeds. With the ripening of the seed the shoot dies down, 
new shoots being formed each year by direct budding from 
the roots. 
Any transverse section through the stem in the lower 
1 Drude, 1 . c., p. 45, and PI. IV. Fig. 16. Drude only found them exceptionally. 
2 Kamienski, 1 . c., p. 30. 
3 An interesting observation is communicated by Mr. Wolley Dod to the 
Gardeners’ Chronicle (August 17th, 1889, p. 195). He found that Monotropa 
which flourishes amongst the roots of Willows in the neighbourhood of Southport 
was often growing in rings, after the manner of a * fairy ring.’ He suggests that 
this phenomenon is perhaps due to the same cause. 
4 loc. cit., p. 49. 
