14 Southern Gardener^ s Practical Manual 



GENERAL CLASSIFICATION 



All flowering plants are grouped into two general 

 classes, viz.: 



Exogens, or outside growers, and Endogens, or inside 

 growers. The distinctive characteristics of these classes 

 are so marked that they are easily recognized. Exogens 

 have two or more seed-leaves, form new growth on the 

 outside, are hardest on the inside, have a vertical, de- 

 scending axis or tap-root, the bark readily separates 

 from the wood during active growth. To this class 

 belong all of our forest trees except the palm family. 



Endogens embrace all plants of the grass family, 

 including cereals, corn, cane, sorghums, etc. They vege- 

 tate with one seed-leaf, grow from the inside, are hard- 

 est on the outside, have no tap-root, and have no 

 distinct bark. 



DURATION OF LIFE 



Plants are also classified as: 



Anntials, or those which grow during one season, 

 ripen their seed and die. Examples of this class are 

 corn, peas, beans, the melon family, etc. These store in 

 the seed a germ and food for the young plant. 



Biennials are those which live through two seasons, 

 and usually store in roots, bulbs or stalks, food from 

 which the seed-stalk is produced the second year. Fa- 

 miliar examples of these are found in the onion, beet, 

 turnip and other root crops. 



Perennials are those which have no definite period 

 of life but continue to grow from year to year, produc- 



