PLANT STEMS 291 



The tassel of the corn is the stamenate flower, and the 

 silks, the pistillate flower. 



Practical Exercises 

 1. The Structure of the Flower 



Get specimens of three or four different kinds of flow- 

 and fill out the following table from your observation 

 of each flower: 



Make a drawing of each of the parts of the flower and 

 of the whole flower. 



LESSON LXXXII 







PLANT STEMS 



Purposes of stems. In our studies of the parts of 

 growing plants we shall learn something more about 

 plant stems. As the root develops from the base of the 

 caulicle in the embryo of the seed, the plumule, or first 

 shoot, develops from the other end and becomes the 

 main stem of the plant. Stems serve the plants three 

 purposes: (1) They support the branches and hold 

 the leaves up to the light. (2) They conduct the water 

 and mineral food up from the ground to the leaves, and 

 the starch and other manufactured food materials from 

 the leaves down to the roots and other parts of the 

 plant wherever needed. (3) They serve in some cases 

 as storehouses for the reserve food of the plant. 



