CHAPTER XV 



DEPENDENT PLANTS 



190. Dependent and Independent Plants. — Plants with 

 roots and foliage usually depend on themselves. They 

 collect the raw materials and make them over into assimi- 

 lable food. They are independent. Plants without green 

 foliage cannot make food : they must have it made for them 

 or they die. They are dependent. The 

 potato sprout (Fig. 45) cannot collect 

 and elaborate carbon dioxid. It lives 

 on the food stored in the tuber. 



191. All plants with naturally white 

 or blanched parts are dependent. Their 

 leaves do not develop. They live on 

 organic matter — that which has been 

 made by a plant or an animal. The 

 Indian pipe, aphyllon (Fig. 131), 

 beech -drop, coral -root (Fig. 132) 

 among flower-producing plants, also 

 mushrooms as well as bacteria and 

 other fungi (Figs. 133, 134, 135) are 

 common examples. 



192. Saprophytes and Parasites. — 

 A plant that lives on dead or decay- 

 ing matter is a saprophyte. Mush- 

 rooms are examples: they live on the 

 decaying matter in the soil. Mould on 

 bread and cheese is an example. Lay 

 a piece of moist bread on a plate and 

 invert a tumbler over it. In a few 



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131. A parasite, growing in 

 woods. — Aphyllon. It is in 

 bloom. 



