CHAPTER XXXIH 

 PLANT GROUPS 



In the last chapter you have had the story of the seed. 

 This story began with the simplest plants, and it carried 

 you through one group after another until the highest 

 group was reached. It is important now to think of the 

 plant kingdom as a whole, so that you will know the great 

 groups when you see them. 



Probably most. people think of plants as having leaves, 

 stems, and roots, and producing flowers and fruits and seeds. 

 This is true of our most conspicuous plants, and of the 

 plants that are most useful to us. But you ought to know 

 that the plant kingdom includes also plants without seeds 

 or flowers; and even plants that do not have leaves or 

 stems or roots. This is important for two reasons: first, 

 you may see these more simple plants anywhere if you 

 know about them; and second, it is from these simple 

 plants that the higher ones have come. 



Those who study plants (botanists) have divided up 

 the plant kingdom into four great groups. These groups 

 may be likened to the four stories of an apartment-house, 

 rising one above the other until the highest story or group 

 is reached. You should know, in a general way, the kinds 

 of plants that live in these different stories. 



i. The First Plants. These are the plants that live in 

 the first story. They are called the first plants because 

 once they were the only kind of plants. They started the 

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