Plants and their ways in South Africa . Fig. 107.—Lily grow-ing in ostrich egg. Some species of Oxalis have a vigorous underground stemsystem, upon which bulbs in great number are formed.^ 1 In these species long roots filled with sap may be found in earlywinter. As these give up their sap to the brood of young plants they 119 I20 Plants and their Ways in South Africa Within these bulbs, on the tips of slender coiled stems, otherbulbs are formed, which send up new plants year after underground stems are called rhizomes. In somerhizomes ( Pteris and Aspidium) the stem remains
Plants and their ways in South Africa . Fig. 107.—Lily grow-ing in ostrich egg. Some species of Oxalis have a vigorous underground stemsystem, upon which bulbs in great number are formed.^ 1 In these species long roots filled with sap may be found in earlywinter. As these give up their sap to the brood of young plants they 119 I20 Plants and their Ways in South Africa Within these bulbs, on the tips of slender coiled stems, otherbulbs are formed, which send up new plants year after underground stems are called rhizomes. In somerhizomes ( Pteris and Aspidium) the stem remains belowand sends the leaves above ground ; more frequently the endappears above ground, while a branch continues below tocome above the following year. As the old parts die,branches are set free, and so plants are multiplied. The Lily growing in the ostrich egg (Fig. 107) had blossoms,. Fig. 108.—Kleinia articulata. Haw. but the seeds did not set; possibly for lack of food whichpassed on to form little plants on the tip of each floweringstalk. The little plants send out roots in search of food. Ifthey had been left in the mountain they would have beenmore successful in their search. They are given a good startin the world, for the wiry stems throw out each plant a long become wrinkled and much shorter. This shortening pulls the adventur-ous plants down and keeps them sufficiently covered with soil. It is bythe pull of drying roots that bulbs with long necks are also pulledfurther down into the soil year by year. Let a bulb dry and see if theroots all wrinkle in the same manner. New Plants without Seed 12 distance from the parent, and in a few years they will travelfar up or down the mountain. A great many of the Cape plants reproduce by may lie dormant in the ground for years. After the vege-tation has been burned off these bulbs have a chance, andthen s
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectplants, bookyear1915
