STEMS. 



MORPHOLOGY. 



ORGANS OF NUTRITION. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



STEMS. 



LET us dig up a plant of our 

 old friend the meadow 

 buttercup, with its smooth 

 round stem and spreading 

 calyx (p. 5). The stem, the 

 root, and the leaves are 

 called Organs of Nutrition* 

 because they are the parts 

 by which plants live and 

 grow. But the other chief 

 parts, the flower and its fruit, 

 are called Organs of Repro- 

 duction^ because they are the 

 parts by which plants pro- 

 duce their seeds, from which 

 up young plants ; 

 and root, and leaves, 

 and flower, and fruit, and seed again. 



Fig. 41. Sharp-flowered Rush. row 

 {Juncus actitijlorus.} stem 



* From the Latin " nutria" I nourish, 

 t From the Latin " re" again, and " produco" I produce. 



