Groups into Which Plants Naturally Fall 465 



3. STRAND PLANTS, or HALOPHYTES, living along the margin of salt 

 water, and therefore condensed and otherwise adapted to the difficult 

 absorption thereof; a few Flowering plants only. 



4. DESERT PLANTS, or XEROPHYTES, living hi places excessively dry, 

 and therefore condensed and protected for water conservation; mainly 

 Flowering plants, with a few Lichens. 



II. DEPENDENT PLANTS, sometimes called HYSTEROPHYTES, in- 

 cluding PARASITES and SAPROPHYTES, which take their food from 

 other organisms, either living or dead, and lack chlorophyll and leaves; 

 mainly Fungi, but including some Flowering plants. 



Finally, there is one more way in which plants are classified 

 ecologically. When considered en masse, plants constitute vege- 

 tation, and vegetation can be classified. A mass of vegetation 

 which gives a distinctive aspect to a country, such as a Pine 

 forest, or a natural meadow, is called a Formation; any group of 

 plants commonly occurring together therein is called an Associa- 

 tion; while the word Society is somewhat loosely used for any kind 

 of vegetation group. This subject is one very much studied at 

 present, and will ultimately give us a vivid method of describing 

 causally the vegetation of any country. 



