CHAPTER IV. 



SEEDLINGS, FOODSTORES AND GERMINATION. 



The appearance of the embryo or germ within the seed 

 varies greatly. In many dicotyledons, it resembles a 

 miniature plant consisting of a tiny root {radicle)^ two flat 

 seedleaves {cotyledons) packed full of starchy or oily 

 matter with a minute stem bud [plumule) between them. 

 The seeds of the Almond or the fruit of the Ash will show 

 the embryo very clearly if they are allowed to soak in 

 water for fourteen days, and are then carefully cut 

 open with a sharp penknife. But in many cases the 

 seed is almost entirely occupied by starchy or oily food 

 material ; the embryo is very small and its parts are 

 exceedingly difficult to make out. 



To understand the structure of these embryos, it is 

 necessary to know something of the internal structure 

 of plants and this internal structure can be studied only 

 with the aid of a microscope. 



All plants are formed of minute " cells " which contain 

 the living matter, " protoplasm," or " life slime," as it is 

 called in some German works. The word " cell " is 

 derived from the cells of the honeycomb which, as 

 Nehemiah Grew showed, have when full of honey a very 

 distinct resemblance to plant tissues. But the slimy 

 matter in plant cells is alive. This transparent jelly-like 

 material is moreover the only living substance. All 

 animal bodies are made up of protoplasmic cells. 



71 



