214 THE SECOND BOOK OF BOTANY. 



ing melon, as an example of herbaceous ones, the 

 appearances at first presented would be nearly the 

 same. Fig. .385 represents a section of the stem of a 

 melon. You see it is a mass of cellular tissue, with 

 several wedge-shaped bodies, 

 forming a circle midway be- 

 tween the centre and the cir- 

 cumference. Make such a sec- 

 tion of a young dicotyledonous 

 stem, and observe it with your 

 microscope. Look for the cen- 

 tral cellular portion called the 

 pithy marked M in the figure. 

 Observe that the outer portion 



is cellular, and that central and outer cells are con- 

 nected by cellular strips (KM), which separate patches 

 of denser matter. If you make a vertical section 

 through some of these denser patches, you will find 

 them largely composed of fibres and ducts. 



Passing from the centre outward, the parts you 

 have noticed are the following : 



PITH, or MEDULLA. The central cellular portion 

 (M, Fig. 385). 



MEDULLARY RAYS. The radiating cellular bands 

 that connect the pith with the circumference (K M). 



WOODY, or FEBRO- VASCULAR BUNDLES. The wedge- 

 shaped bundles of fibres and ducts. 



CORTICAL LAYER. The green cellular envelop of 

 the other parts. 



Carefully peel off some of the skin from the same 

 stem, and examine it under the magnify ing-glass. 

 You see it consists of flattened, irregular cells, closely 



