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CHAPTER XII. 



«P THE ROOT, AND ITS DIFFERENT KINDS. 



We be,^in the description of the completely formed 

 ve£!:etable by its Root, as being- the basis of all the rest, 

 as well as the first part produced from the seed. Its 

 use in general is two-fold ; to fix the plant to a com- 

 modious situation, and to derive nourishment for its 

 support. This part is therefore commonly plunged 

 deeply into the ground, having, as we have already 

 shown, a natural tendency to grow downwards. In 

 some cases however, when plants grow on the stems or 

 branches of others, as the Dodder or Cuscuta, several 

 Ferns, and a portion of the Orchis tribe, the root is 

 closely attached to the bark, from which it draws nour- 

 ishment, by the under side only, the upper being bare. 



The Root consists of two parts, Caudex the body of 

 the Root, and Radicula the fibre. The latter only is es- 

 sential, being the part which imbibes nourishment. 



Roots are either of annual, biennial or perennial dura- 

 tion. The first belong to plants which live only one 

 year, or rather one summer, as Barley ; the second to 

 such as are produced one season, and, living through 

 the ensuing winter, produce flowers aiid fruit the follow- 

 ing summer, as Wheat ; and the third to those which 

 live and blossom through many succeeding seasons to an 

 indefinite period, as trees, and many herbaceous plants. 

 The term biennial is applied to any plant that is produ- 

 ced one year and flowers another, provided it flowers 



