Cryptogamia 

 or 



Flowers. 



128 INSECT PESTS 



into four great Orders of Plants, as follows, commencing 

 with the lowest : 



^"1. Thallophyta, Simple, celliilar, flowerless 

 plants, including all the Sea-weeds, Algae, 

 Fungi and Lichens. 

 Beyophyta. Simple flower-bearing plants. 

 Concealed "1 such as Liverworts and Mosses. 



3. Pteridophyta. Spore-bearing plants whose 

 fructification is on the underside of the 

 leaves or fronds ; examples, Ferns, Horse- 

 tails, and Club Mosses. 

 Phanerogamia [*• Spermaphyta. Flower and seed-bearing 

 or Visible -! Plants embracing all Grasses and Cereals 

 Flowers I " Flowers," " Vegetables," Herbs, Bushes 



I and Trees. 



Now it might perhaps appear from this list that the 

 first three Orders of Plants described were almost a side- 

 show compared with the last, where we seem to have 

 roped in practically all that is generally meant by the 

 word vegetation. This is by no means so true as it 

 seems, however, as the algae and fungi, which, according 

 to our arrangement, belong to the lowest order of plants, 

 together comprise a whole unexplored universe in them- 

 selves, which the microscope has done so much to reveal. 

 Between the Fungi and the higher orders too, there is, 

 as we shall see, a great gulf fixed. Now it is amongst 

 these minute plants or plant organisms that many of 

 our common diseases are found whether it be an animal 

 or plant ailment, and so we shall do well to just glance 

 at the details of fungus growth before speaking of the 

 particular examples given in this chapter. (See Plate 29.) 



Although fungi belong to a lowly order, they are part 

 of a very important group, the species of which far out- 

 number the higher plants, and are still insufficiently 

 known. What is a fungus like ? The word comes from 

 the Latin and means mushroom, that favourite esculent, 

 the form of which, with the toadstools and puff-balls, 

 is familiar to all. But take, for instance, that curious 



