The Romance of Domesticated Plants^ 



By Glenn W. Blaydes^ 



Department of Botany and Plant Pathology 

 The Ohio State University 



[With 11 plates] 



Man's fate is closely correlated with events of the distant past — 

 events which occurred even before he existed. One sucli incident, 

 which was new among plants and eventually greatly changed the vege- 

 tative landscape, occurred about 225 million years ago. This accident 

 resulted in the formation of a plant organ which we recognize as a 

 seed. Heritable changes were not common in the more primitive seed 

 plants, but finally, during the Cretaceous period (about 120 million 

 years ago) , the angiosperms made their appearance. All our common 

 seed-bearing plants except the conifers belong to this group. This 

 new kind of propagule was unique in that it contained an embryo 

 plant which resulted from asexual union. Free water was not neces- 

 sary in the fertilization process. Food, which could be used in fur- 

 ther growth of the embryo and in germination, accumulated in the 

 embryo and in surroimding tissues of the seed. This new plant organ 

 could withstand desiccation yet remain viable for months to hundreds 

 of years. In many instances, it could survive low temperatures which 

 ordinarily would kill vegetative parts of the same plant. The nature 

 of this organ was such that it could, at maturity, become widely dis- 

 seminated within its habitat and to other habitats by several natural 

 agencies. 



' Presidential address delivered at the annual meeting of the Ohio Academy of 

 Science at the Ohio State University, Columbus, April 24, lOHS. (Publication 

 No. 558, Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Ohio State University.) 

 Reprinted by permission from the Ohio Journal of Science, vol. 53, No. 4, July 

 1953. 



' Credit is hereby given and appreciation expressed to the following for photo- 

 graphs for the illustrations: Tillman J. Johnson, figures 1-14, 16-20, and 25; 

 Allan Heilman, figures 15, 26, and 27; Walter G. Wagner, O. S. U. Department 

 of Photography, figures 21-23 and 28-39; and Dr. E. N. Transeau, figures 40 

 and 41. 



317 



