138 SEASIDE DIVINITY. 



of germs or spores which are contained in certain 

 parts of the fronds in appropriate capsules more 

 or less obvious on examination. 



The highest forms of marine plants are com- 

 posed of the same elements as the most simple. 

 They all consist, not of organs related to, and 

 affording nutriment to each other as the root of 

 terrestrial plants does to the branches, but of a 

 series of separate and independent parts. In se- 

 veral marine plants there are various parts analo- 

 gous to those of land vegetables, such as roots, 

 stems, branches, and leaves. But between these 

 parts of marine plants there is no difference of 

 organisation, all being alike formed of cellular 

 tissue, and each part appearing to have an inde- 

 pendent existence, and not to participate in the 

 common vitality of the vegetable. 



The manner in which these plants are formed 

 is very simple, and may be easily understood. 

 There is, first, the germ or spore, consisting of a 

 minute isolated cell. This cell, when about to 

 produce a plant, elongates itself and becomes 

 divided in the centre by a septum or cell-wall ; 

 thus two cells are formed entirely distinct from 

 each other. The same process of subdivision still 

 continues ; the new cell produces by its own elon- 

 gation and division a third cell ; the third gives 

 birth in the same manner to a fourth, and thus 

 either a row or a cluster of cells is speedily formed. 

 In those sea-weeds which are in the form of cords, 

 such as the Chorda filum, already spoken of, 

 the spores or cells lengthen themselves in one 



