354 



BOTANY OF THE LIVING PLANT 



directly in the soil as the Fern-Plant always does. Thus the leading 

 morphological feature is the relatively high vegetative development of the 



Fig. 296. 

 CathaTinea {Atrichum] tindidala. The leafy ganietophyte. or Moss Plant, bearing 

 capsules, or sporoponia, which arc the dependent sporophyte generation, (After 

 Schimper.) 



sexual generation, which is able to carry on active nutrition and 

 propagation, and commonly persists as a perennial. 



Physiologically also tliere is this difference from Vascular Plants, 

 that there is no elaborated root-system. It is true Mosses and Liver- 

 worts have rhiznids, but thev depcntl for their water-supplv not only 



