CHAPTER V 



THE CASTOR BEAN, A COMPLEX 



PLANT 



THE plants hitherto mentioned do not 

 possess flowers and belong to what are 

 called the flowerless plants or Cryptogams 

 (Gr. cryptos = concealed + gamos = mar- 

 riage). As an example of the higher 

 multicellular plants we will describe one 

 of those producing true flowers, i. e., one 

 of the flowering plants or Phanerogams 

 (Gr. phaneros = open + gamos) . For this 

 purpose we will study the castor bean. 



THE CASTOR BEAN (RICINUS COMMUNIS) 



The castor bean (Ricinus communis) 

 is the plant from which castor oil is ob- 

 tained; it is also used as an ornamental 

 foliage plant on account of its large, 

 beautiful leaves. Other plants may serve 

 for this study, but this one illustrates 

 especially well the structure of the higher 

 plants. The seeds may be obtained at 

 seed stores and will readily sprout in 

 moist sawdust. 



GROSS STRUCTURE 



Figure 43, which represents a young 

 seedling of the castor bean about two 

 weeks old, illustrates the general struc- 

 ture of other multicellular plants, since 

 the higher plants are essentially alike in 



103 



MULTICELLULAR 

 P.. 



FIG. 43. A YOUNG 



SEEDLING OP THE 

 CASTOR BEAN, THREE 

 WEEKS OLD 



s, the stem; r, the roots; 



c, expanded seed leaves; 



p, permanent leaves. 



