PARTNERS. 



No doubt every one knows the Lichens, 

 the greenish gray growths, sometimes 

 like rosettes or clusters of leaves 

 or of fruit, on tree trunks or the gray 

 rocks by the water, and even on the 

 ground and old wood. Their forms are 

 various and often graceful, and mingled 

 with their greenish gray are many 

 brighter colors, giving a rich tone to the 

 rough surfaces they cover and adorn. 

 But I dare say that most of us have 

 thought of a Lichen as a single plant. It 

 is not so, though it looks so exactly like 

 one in its close union. It is a partnership, 

 indeed ; generally what looks like a sin- 

 gle Lichen is a colony of partners keep- 

 ing house together, or a manufacturing 

 firm, if you like that expression of their 

 business better. The partners are also 

 kindred, or were so, in the past. 



For there was a time long ago when 

 there was only one big family of plants, 

 the Algae ; the brown Algae or sea- 

 weeds known as kelps often form the 

 "wrack" or tangle of weeds like long 

 leaves or branching stems, with berry or 

 fruit-like bladders, thrown on the coast in 

 great masses by a storm ; and the red Al- 

 gae, or the beautiful fern-like and coral- 

 like seaweeds that grow far down in the 

 deep sea. There are also the green Al- 

 gae, found in fresh water, or even on 

 damp tree trunks and rocks. They have 

 many odd forms. One kind, called a pond 

 scum, is a frothy, slippery mass of 

 spirally wound bands, floating in ponds 

 or still water ; another, called "green 

 felt," is found in water also, and has egg- 

 like things from which spores or seed- 

 like bodies escape to form new plants. 

 They have filaments at the bottom, like 

 roots, that are called "holdfasts." Lastly, 

 there are blue-green Algae, jelly-like 

 masses found on trees, rocks, damp earth 

 or floating as green slimes in fresh water. 

 Most water plants are active and inde- 

 pendent. They are on the upward road, 

 for though they have not distinct stems, 



roots, leaves or fruit, their different 

 parts, as I have already said, show a de- 

 cided likeness to these, especially their 

 "holdfasts" to roots and their air-blad- 

 ders to fruit. The exquisite red sea- 

 weeds are as graceful in form and vivid 

 in color as many flowers. 



There is a remarkable foreshadowing 

 of the moral law even among these early 

 growths. Some have shirked their work, 

 which was to absorb waste substances, 

 and manufacture these into organized 

 plant food. They tried to live on other 

 growths, to the injury of the latter, and 

 even sank to feeding on dead substances. 

 They lost the green chlorophyll, which is 

 necessary for manufacturing, though the 

 red and brown Algae do not show its 

 presence because their other coloring is 

 more vivid. But it is present all the 

 same with every busy, self-respecting 

 plant. The lazy, pauper growths dete- 

 riorated more and more and at last were 

 no longer Algae at all, but Fungi. They 

 could not live by themselves ; their only 

 chance was to get active or well-stocked 

 partners. As the Alga developed more 

 and more into a likeness of a perfect 

 plant, so the Fungus grew less like one. 

 The white furry "mould" on bread or 

 preserved fruit, the "mildew" on grapes 

 and lilac leaves, the "black knot" of 

 cherry and plum, the "ergot" of rye, the 

 "rust" of wheat, do not look like plants 

 unless you study them through a magni- 

 fying glass. Nor do the "slime moulds" 

 or the mushrooms, toadstools, puff-balls 

 and truffles bear much resemblance to 

 flowers. Some of these, however, are 

 both pretty and useful. 



In the case of a Lichen the partners 

 really seem to be of use to each other. 

 The Fungus is not a mere pauper living 

 on his more active kinsman. If you ex- 

 amine a Lichen you will find a large num- 

 ber of transparent threads, and in their 

 meshes lie the green Algae, giving the 

 whole a greenish tint. The little cups or 



12 



