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Birbal Sahni. 
part. The particular specimen that Mr. Brooks saw was at least 
10 metres in height and was scrambling over bushes on to a tree at 
the outskirts of a forest. 
The stolons are stiff, cylindrical organs, devoid of ramental 
scales in the older parts; the surface is smooth, except for the scars 
of fallen branches (Text-fig. 2), or for occasional dormant buds. 1 
Faint brown spots mark the positions of lenticel-like structures, 
while the minute scars of fallen ramental scales are also distinguish¬ 
able. Short branches, which may be called secondary stolons, 
come off at frequent intervals almost at right angles to the primary 
stolon, and differ from the latter in being covered with scales 
(Text-fig. 2). 2 Distally each secondary stolon bends rather sharply 
upwards, and is continued into the short axis of the daughter-plant, 3 4 
which carries a tuft of 2-4 leaves in addition to a similar number 
of thin, wiry, unbranched stolons. The striking appearance of these 
stolons is well illustrated by the photograph where they are seen 
coiling repeatedly round adjoining petioles; they apparently serve 
as efficient climbing organs. In the young condition they are neither 
coiled, nor so stiff, as they become after having grasped a support. 
In the material available none of the daughter plants showed 
any trace of roots, nor were there any roots on the stolons. This 
circumstance is easily understood so long as the daughter-plants are 
attached to the stolons which connect them with the absorbing 
system of the mother-plant. 
(b .) Anatomy. In transverse section, the stolon bears a very 
close resemblance to the rhizome of Lygodium. 
The Primary Stolon 4 is about 2'5 mm. in diameter, of which 
about 1 mm. is formed by the xylem-cylinder in the form of a fluted 
column composed of tracheids and parenchyma. In transverse 
sections (see PI. IV, figs. 1 and 2) the parenchyma appears as tortuous 
1-3-seriate chains of thin-walled cells with normal contents. In 
longitudinal section, these cells appear in vertical rows and are 
1 Sperlich, Flora, 1906, p. 463, pi. iv, fig. 2 ( N. cordi/olia). 
3 At this stage it should be made clear that there is no marked line 
between the “ lateral plant ” and the “secondary stolon.” In fact, it may 
even seem advantageous to leave out the term secondary stolon, and consider 
the lateral plant as arising directly on what we have termed the primary stolon. 
3 One case was observed where it was continued into a short piece which 
was identical in character with the primary stolon, the latter becoming arrested. 
This piece again produced a branch exactly like a primary stolon, and itself 
became arrested. 
4 Already described for N. exaltata by Lachmann (“ Contributions 4 
l’histoire naturelle de la racine des Fougeres,” Lyon, 1889) and by Chandler 
(Ann. of Bot., 1905, p. 392) and Sperlich (l.c., p. 464 ff.) for N. cordi/olia. 
