150 PLANT LIFE 



The epiphytes form a large class, and they 

 include many of the humbler members of 

 the vegetable kingdom as well as a consider- 

 able number drawn from the highest ranks of 

 flowering plants. 



They exhibit all grades of adaptedness for 

 the acquisition and storage of water. At the 

 lowest end we find some of the simpler forms, 

 especially amongst the algae and mosses, 

 which will stand complete dessication. But 

 there are other species of mosses, and especially 

 of the nearly related family of liverworts, 

 which have advanced far beyond the attitude of 

 mere tolerance, and not only exhibit adapta- 

 tion for rapid water absorption, but also 

 possess means of storing it during a time of 

 plenty. In some liverworts tuberous bodies 

 are formed, and during the dry season these 

 alone persist, to break out into growth as 

 soon as the rains commence. In the leafy 

 forms it often happens that some or all of 

 the leaves are modified so as to form bottle- 

 like receptacles (Frullania, Physiotium, etc.) 

 for water. 



It is amongst the ferns and flowering plants, 

 however, that we find the greatest diversity, 

 and perhaps we might add perfection, in the 

 adaptations to solve the problems connected 

 with a precarious and intermittent water 

 supply. 



It is true that the majority of the highly 

 specialised epiphytes are more or less restricted 

 to regions of large and fairly frequent rainfall, 



