CHAPTER II 



THE STORY OF THE STEM 



February 



" Ancient pines ! 

 Ye bear no record of the years of man. 

 Spring is your sole historian." 



The stem is that part of the plant which bears all 

 the other organs. It produces roots from its base ; 

 leaves, branches, flowers, fruit from its sides and 

 apex. As the human body maintains the head and 

 limbs, sheltering within it the variou?> organs of 

 breathing, nutrition, circulation, etc., the stem serves 

 the j^lant as a body, upbearing and supplying the 

 organs. 



One department of the plant world is truly stem- 

 less. These stemless plants have neither roots, leaves, 

 nor seeds. They are mere expansions of cellular 

 tissue, beautiful, useful, wonderful, varied. At present 

 a few of their names, only, are mentioned with some 

 of the most common examples. They form too dif- 

 ficult a study for the amateur in botany. 



Some plants are apparently, but not truly, stem- 

 less. The leaves and flowers seem to spring directly 



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