40 



THE ROOT 



gams of small size, but among them are several flowering plants. The 

 Indian Pipe is common in woods, where its short stems push up in 



29. An epiphytic Orchid with numerous aerial roots for the 

 absorption of rain and dew. ScniMPEK. 1 



little groups through the leaf mold. The pale hue of its stem, leaves, 

 and flower remind one of the toadstools in company with which it 

 grows. The roots are adapted to absorb organic matters in solution 

 from vegetable mold. 



60- Parasitic roots. Part of the roots of the Yellow Gerardia are, 

 or may be, transformed by the development of suckers near their 

 tips, by which they grow fast to the roots of other plants and steal 



nourishment (Fig. 30). At the same time the Gerardia, possessing 







1 A. F. W. Schimper, " Pflanzen-Geographie," 1898. An account of 

 plants ID the world -wMe aspects of distribution and adaptation. 



