136 



NATUKE STUDY 



NOURISHMENT 



._ SCUTELLUM 

 ... COTYLEDON 

 — PLUMULE 



Grain of Corn dissected. 



through the ground and immediately afterwards. We 

 may suppose a man to be thrown down on his hands and 

 knees, and at the same time to one side, by a load of hay 

 falling on him. He would first endeavor to get his arched 



back upright, wriggling at 

 the same time in all direc- 

 tions to free himself a little 

 from the surrounding pres- 

 sure. The man, still wrig- 

 gling, would then raise his 

 arched back as high as he 

 could. As soon as he felt himself at all free, he would 

 raise the upper part of his body, whilst still on his knees 

 and still wriggling." 



The corn differs from the pea in that its one cotyledon 

 comes above ground instead of remaining buried under- 

 neath, like the two cotyledons of the pea. This cotyle- 

 don, or sheath, protects the bud within, until its stiff and 

 sharp point has pierced the ground. For this reason the 

 branch is not arched, 

 as is the case in the 

 pea. "'"""'' 



Instead of having 

 only a single branched 

 primary root, it has 

 also several secondary 

 roots that remain un- 

 branched for some 

 time. 



The leaves of the wheat are parallel veined ; those of 

 the pea, netted veined. The former is the characteristic 

 of almost all monocotyledonous plants ; the latter is true 

 of all the dicotyledonous. 



COTYLEDON 



Bean, showing embryo. 



