RUDIMENTARY ORGANS IN PLANTS 145 



SECTION II. 

 Rudimentary Organs in Plants. 



We have just glanced through a series of 

 rudimentary organs in animals, and many more 

 examples might easily have been furnished, but, 

 when dealing with rudimentary organs in the 

 vegetable world, much greater difficulty is met 

 with. In plants, the elimination of non-functional 

 organs is usually complete, and the vestiges left are 

 insignificant and hard to recognize. We can find, 

 however, amongst the various groups of the vege- 

 table world, and especially among the Phanerogams, 

 some instances of reduced organs. 



3. Rudimentary organs in various groups of 

 plants. 



1. Algae. On the surface of sea-wrack (Fucus) 

 may be found, distributed in large numbers, little 

 crypts (conceptacles) with hairs growing out of 

 them. On certain parts of the plant, these crypts 

 represent the organs of reproduction, producing 

 eggs and spermatozoa ; in other parts they fulfil 

 no known function and may be regarded as con- 

 ceptacles arrested in the course of development. 

 The fact that in other Fucacise (Splacknidium), 

 fertile conceptacles are distributed over the entire 

 surface of the plant adds support to this theory. 



K 



