70 



THE FLOWER 



The Natural Classification endeavors to group plants in 

 accordance with true botanical resemblances, and these groups 

 are combined into larger, until we have the entire plant king- 

 dom in four large groups. Thus far we have studied flowering 

 plants only, but the plant kingdom includes many plants which 

 do not produce flowers or seeds. The principal groups of the 

 plant kingdom may be represented by the f ollowig outline : 



A. Cryptogams 

 (Seedless plants) 



B. Phanerogams 

 (Seed plants) 



1. Thallophytes 



2. Bryophytes 



3. Pteridophytes 



4. Spermatophytes 



a. Algae mostly water 



plants. 

 6. Fungi plants 



without chlorophyll; 



moulds, mushrooms, 



etc. 



a. Hepaticae Liver - 



worts. 

 6. Musci Mosses. 



c. Ferns and related 

 plants. 



a. Gymnosperms cone- 

 bearing plants ; pines, 

 cedars, etc. 



6. Angiosperms true 

 flowering plants. 



For the present we will not study the Cryptogams or the 

 Gymnosperms, but will continue our studies on the Angiosperms 

 or true flowering plants. We have already learned that this last 

 group is sub-divided into monocotyledonous and dicotyledon- 

 ous plants, and that in the former the embryo has but one 

 cotyledon, while in the latter it has two. When we do not have 

 the seed, or when it is too small for the determination of this 

 point with ease, the classification may be determined by the 

 following characteristics of the mature plant : The monocotyle- 

 donous plants usually have leaves with parallel veins and stems 



