276 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN, August 3, 1858. 
NOTES ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF BULBS AND TUBERS. 
By Thilo Ibmisch. 
(Abridged from the German original.) 
( Continued from 'page 261.) 
Fritillaria imperialism L. (Crown Imperial.) 
The well-known thick, somewhat depressed, bulbs of this 
plant possess at the time of flowering, strong, generally 
branched, roots. The broad scales of which the bulb is 
formed are few in number, and very fleshy and juicy ; they 
are, more or less, confluent below, but they are not soldered 
together into a solid mass. Their free upper margin is, in 
contradistinction to the lower fleshy part, originally very thin. 
This, however, soon withers and leaves a scar. In the axis of 
the uppermost scale, in front of the flower-stem, stands the 
young primary bulb (c). It is formed of from five to seven 
Fig. l.Bulb in autumn, about 
half the real size. 
a. old peduncle. 
b. scaly coats of bulb. 
c. bud which is to flower 
in spring. 
Fig. 2. Vertical section of do.. 
Fritillaria imperialis. 
with the bulb c, Fig. 
1, more advanced, 
d. basal axis. 
Fig. 3. Main bud a short time 
before flowering. 
b. primary fleshy scale. 
c. second do. 
furnished above with leaves and flower-buds. There is also, 
already, in the axil which is formed by the uppermost scale 
of the axis with the peduncle, the bud of the primary bulb 
which is to blossom in the second following spring ; and there 
is frequently another in the axil formed by the penultimate 
scale in the flower-stem. It flowers occasionally at the. same 
time with the first bud, so that there are tw r o flower-stems in one 
plant. Many years, however, sometimes pass before it flowers, 
and it becomes consequently, when the axis which originally 
united the two buds is withered, entirely separated from the 
principal bud. 
The composition of the whole bulb is most easily ascer¬ 
tained. A short time before flower¬ 
ing, at the end of March, the fleshy 
scales belonging to last year’s axis 
are still present, and the parts on 
the main axis of this year’s flower- 
stem are as follows: the rather 
fleshy primary scale (Fig. 3, b), one 
alternating with it, and then about 
six short membranous scales (d). 
All these, which are distinct from 
one another, vanish almost entirely 
after the flowering is over. After 
these follow from four to six leaves 
(e) whose basal portion is fleshy, 
and the lamina membranaceous and 
white. The lamina is shorter in 
the outer leaves, in the inner gra¬ 
dually longer, being often five to six 
inches long. The basal portions are 
already confluent, at least in the 
lower leaves. After flowering the 
lamime wither very rapidly, and 
leave a scar on the upper margin of 
the surviving base. The Crown 
Imperial grows so rapidly in spring 
that the nutriment stored up in the 
scales of last year’s bulb is soon ex¬ 
hausted, and, in consequence of the 
very delicate texture of their cuticle, 
they vanish almost entirely after 
flowering, and do not form, as in 
many other bulbs, a dry skin. 
During and soon after flowering the 
scales of the active bud attain then’ 
full growth, and the bulb is then 
again in the same condition in which 
it was before, since the bud at the 
base of the flower-stem is already 
more developed. 
d, d. short membranous 
scales. 
e, e. leaves with fleshy 
bases,which form the 
bulb destined to 
nourish the young 
bud during the au¬ 
tumn and winter. 
scales, at present distinct from one another. The first of 
these, on the dorsal side, which is turned towards the pe¬ 
duncle, is tolerably flat, with two angles. 
There is generally in autumn the short dry stump of the 
last spring’s flower stem in the centre of the bulb ; which is 
easily drawn out, and frequently carries with it a part of the 
base of the axis, so that the bulb appears pei’forated. On the 
contrary, the scales of the old bulb, which belong to the 
same axis with the old peduncle, remain in organic connexion 
with those of the young bulb, which they enclose. Fresh 
roots spring at this time from the basal axis of this young 
bulb, perforate the scales of the old bulb, and form a circle 
round their lower half (Fig. 1). The roots of the past spring 
which belonged to the same axis with the Avithered floAver- 
stem are entirely dead. The young bulb (Fig. 1, c; Fig. 2) 
contains in autumn all the parts of the plant which is to 
blow in the following spring : the scales of its basal axis have 
become stronger ; they enclose in their centre the still short 
and thick peduncle, which is naked at its base, but plentifully 
Hyacinthus Orientalism L. (The Garden Hyacinth.) 
The following description applies to the plant at the time 
of flowering. The bulb is formed of numerous very broad 
concentric sheaths, which exhibit a scar in consequence of the 
decay of their margin. Of those also (Fig. 1, a) which are 
seated beloAV the short remnant of the last year’s flower-stem, 
many are still unexhausted, and firm and juicy. Remains 
even of the two-year-old flower-stem are found between the 
sheaths, and single sheaths without it are still fleshy. Above the 
last year’s flower-stalk (Fig. 2, e) are found some white broad 
sheaths (b). There are from three to six of these; the outer 
ones, at the time of floAvering, arc occasionally somewhat 
perished at their tips. All are fleshy below; only a small 
portion of their upper margin is membranaceous. 
These are followed immediately by many perfect fresh leaves, 
generally from five to twelve. They have no closed sheaths, 
and are arranged spirally. 
In the axil which is formed between this year’s flower-stem 
