THE ROOTS 51 



the lower side of the flattened body and penetrate 

 the soil, accomplishing both fixation and absorption. 

 Each little tube is very delicate, yet their combined 

 strength is sufficient to hold the body quite firmly in 

 position. The thin bodies of the ordinary liverwort 

 (Marchantia polymorpha or Conocephalus) should be 

 examined and the character of the rhizoids noted. 

 They will be seen as a tangled mass, to which are 

 adhering great numbers of particles of soil. 



57. Method of fixation of the moulds and mush- 

 rooms. Find a number of freshly grown mush- 

 rooms or " toadstools " in the ground in the woods, 

 and carefully dig away the soil from around the base 

 of the stalk supporting the umbrella-like top. Run- 

 ning away from the base of this stalk are a number 

 of ragged-looking grayish strands, and if these are 

 followed out farther, they will be seen to divide and 

 subdivide into still smaller strands. These strands 

 constitute the absorbing and fixing part of the plant, 

 and they are made up of a great number of tubes. 

 Bundles of tubes branch off separately and in small 

 groups all along the main strands, giving them the 

 peculiar ragged appearance. These organs penetrate 

 the soil to great distances, living and growing during 



