CHAPTER V 



THE PLANT BODY 



The Parts of a Plant. — Our familiar plants are made up 

 of several distinct parts. The most prominent of these 

 parts are root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, and seed. Familiar 

 plants differ wonderfully in size and shape, — from fragile 

 mushrooms, delicate waterweeds and pond-scums, to float- 

 ing leaves, soft grasses, coarse weeds, tall bushes, slender 

 climbers, gigantic trees, and hanging moss. 



The Stem Part. — In most plants there is a main central 

 part or shaft on which the other or secondary parts are 

 borne. This main part is the plant axis. Above ground, 

 in most plants, the main plant axis bears the brandies, 

 leaves, and flowers ; below ground, it bears the roots. 



The rigid part of the plant, which persists over winter 

 and which is left after leaves and flowers are fallen, is the 

 framework of the plant. The framework is composed of 

 both root and stem. When the plant is dead, the frame- 

 work remains for a time, but it slowly decays. The dry 

 winter stems of weeds are the framework, or skeleton of 

 the plant (Figs, u and 12). The framework of trees is 

 the most conspicuous part of the plant. 



The Root Part. — The root bears the stem at its apex, 

 but otherwise it normally bears only root-branches. The 

 stem, however, bears leaves, flowers, and fruits. Those 

 living surfaces of the plant which are most exposed to 

 light are green or highly colored. The root tends to grow 

 downward, but the stem tends to grow upward toward light 



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