180 



EXPERIMENTS WITH PLANTS 



100. Germi- 

 nating Date, 

 showing the 

 large absorb- 

 ent seed-leaf 

 (si). 



spongy mass, traversed by fibrous veins 

 whioh convey the food. At first it is very 

 small, but grows rapidly during germina- 

 tion and soon fills the whole cavity. It ab- 

 sorbs the milk and then the meat of the 

 Cocoanut (both of these together make up 

 the endosperm, which is partly solid and 

 partly liquid) . Study also the germination 

 of the Date (Fig. 100), which resembles 

 that of the Cocoanut in the formation of 

 a large absorbing organ. 



Between the seed-leaves and the next 

 leaves produced by the plant, i. e., the 

 foliage -leaves, there is a great contrast in 

 appearance. Some of the differences be- 

 tween the two, in the Horse-bean, are as 

 follows : 



Seed-leaves 



Small 



Thick 



Pale yellow 



Underground 



Gradually grow smaller 



Fall off after a time 



Obscurely veined 



No stalk 



No stipules (appendages at 



base of stalk) 

 Brittle ; not fibrous 

 Opposite 



Foliage-leaves : 

 Large 

 Thin 



Bright green 

 Above ground 

 Gradually grow larger 

 Remain on a long time 

 Conspicuously veined 

 Stalked 

 Stipules present 



Tough and fibrous 

 Alternate 



