114 OBJECT LESSONS IN BOTANY. 



secondly, it teaches us how to recognize by name the plants 

 with which we meet, so as to avail ourselves of all that has 

 been recorded concerning the same by botanists before us. 



239. Suppose the pupil, in his study, has dropped a single 

 Flax-seed on a lock of cotton floating in water in a bulb- 

 glass. It grows, filling the clear water with its silvery radi- 

 cles, while its stem shoots upwards covered with leaves and 

 finally blooming with flowers. This is an individual plant. 

 He studies its organs, colors, portrait, and carefully writes its 

 history. 



240. Meanwhile, other Flax-seeds, by thousands, have been 

 sown in the fields, and fix)m each, also, a plant has arisen. 

 The student finds them in flower, tinging all the plain in 

 ocean blue. I^ow, shall he, as a botanist, repeat his study 

 over each of all these millions ? Certainly not. He finds 

 himself already acquainted with them, for each bears an ex- 

 act resemblance to that which he has already described. His 

 knowledge of one individual Flax-plant, therefore, avails him 

 for each and all the myriads of Flax-plants growing every- 

 where. 



241. In this manner we obtain the idea of a Species. Thus, 

 a species of plants consists of many individuals of the same 

 Mnd^ having descended from a common stock, and resem- 

 bling each other and their common parent in every feature. 



242. The common Blue Flax, of which linen is made, is a 

 sj^ecies f the wild Yellow Flax is another; and the Purple 

 Flax of the gardens is another. The White Clover is a spe- 



239. Can you give us an idea of an individual plant ? 



240. Having studied one individual Flax-plant, why do we not need to 

 udy the others ? 



241. Please state your idea of a species. 

 i42. Please illustrate your idea of a species. 



