1 86 



FLOWER-LAND. 



see the starch granules very plainly. Sometimes the 

 shape of them is very strange (Fig. 164). These 

 starch granules make the tubers, or seeds which con- 

 tain them, very nutritious as food. Sugar is found 

 in the cell sap of the sugar cane, the beetroot, and 

 some other plants. 



Fig. 164. Starch Grains. 



Hard "crystals" are also found in the cells of plants. 

 Here is a picture of some of 

 them (Fig. 166), but you may 

 easily find some real ones. Take 

 a hyacinth stem, break or cut it, 

 and rub the cut part gently along 

 a glass slide ; now if you look 

 through your magnifying glass you 

 Fig. i6 5 .-Crystals in will very likely be able to see some 

 the wall of some cell o f t h e crystals like tiny needles 



tissue, magnified six 



hundred times. (Fig. 1 66). Crystals of this shape 



