REPRODUCTION OF PLANTS. 89 



pistilliferous flowers, they then expand, emit 

 their pollen, and die. 



68. The seed itself consists, as has been stated 

 above (65), of an embryo, and of the albumen, 

 &c. which nourish and protect it. This embryo, 

 " the organized body that lies within the seed, 

 and for the purpose of protecting and nourishing 

 which the seed was created," " consists of the 

 cotyledons, the radicle, the plumule, and the 

 collar."* The cotyledons are those undeveloped 

 leaves which are seen to push their way above 

 the ground when a plant first makes its appear- 

 ance : they vary in number, but most usually 

 there are either one or two of them. If a plant 

 have but one cotyledon, it is said to be Mono- 

 cotyledonous, which is the case with all the 

 Endogenous tribes ; if there be two or more, the 

 plant is called Dicotyledonous, in which latter 

 division all the Exogenous tribes are found. 

 The Cryptogamia are all Acotyledonous that 

 is, without cotyledons. 



69. The ascending portion of the embryo plant 

 is called the plumule, and is sometimes hardly 

 distinguishable from the cotyledons ; the de- 



* Liudley. 



