PRELIMINARY STUDIES. 



2. Remove a plant of each kind from the earth. Wash 

 the roots and examine them. Do any of these plants have 

 taproots ? Examine the roots of full-grown specimens 

 of these plants as they grow in the field if possible ; if 

 that is not possible, those that have been preserved entire. 

 Do any of these plants have roots that originate above the 

 ground ? Do these roots serve any purpose other than 

 the usual one of supplying nourishment to the plant ? 



Examine the 

 youngest roots 

 of the seedlings 

 for root hairs. 



3. Cut across 

 the stems of 

 Indian Corn, 

 different Lilies, 

 Palm, Canna, 

 and Asparagus. 

 Examine the cut 

 ends with a mag- 

 nify ing glass. 

 Notice that the 

 bundles of the 

 woody fibers are 

 scattered more 

 or less irregularly through the stem. This is, in general, 

 characteristic of the Monocotyledons, or Endogens. 



With a razor or scalpel make thin, transverse sections. 

 Do not try to get complete sections across the stem. Small 

 pieces will do, but they must be very thin. Mount in 

 water, cover with a cover glass, and examine under both 

 low and high powers of the compound microscope, and 

 compare with Figs. 7 and 8. Make also thin longitudinal 

 sections of the Corn, and examine them for vessels whose 

 walls are pitted ; also for vessels whose walls are composed 



FIG. 7. Transverse section through upper part of a 

 Cornstalk, as seen under low power. (X 35.) 



