38 



ACADEMIC BOTANY. 



years to produce spores each year by pure partheno- 

 genesis alone. 



67. A fern [Cibotium Ba- 

 rometz) found in abundance 

 west of the Volga is be- 

 lieved to be the Scythian 

 Lamb {Agnus Scythicus) of 

 antiquity, which was, and 

 still is, held in great rever- 

 ence by the people, being re- 

 garded as half plant, half 

 animal. Its root-stock, which 

 is thick and fleshy, resem- 

 FiG. 36 — Vert. sec. of protliallua of liiiirjchmm Ijles a lamb not only in flieece 

 roThilrs.'"' ™''°Sonium; an, antheridium; w, ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ j^ jj^g ^^-^^^ ^f 



its flesh and its blood-like 

 juice. The fleece [villus) consists of fine long, velvety, gold-colored 

 hairs, thought to be the Byssus of the ancients, out of which they 

 manufactured famed stuifs sold at fabulous prices. C. glaucum, C. 

 Chamissoi, C. Menziesii, of the Sandwich Islands, furnish from their 

 root-stocka the fleece called Pulu, used for stuffing mattresses. 



LESSON VIII. 



ACKOGENS :S'INISHED. 



68. Horsetails. 69. Marsileas. 70. Olub-Mosses. 71. Eesurrection- 

 Eose. 72. Acrogenous Growth. 



68. The Horsetails (Fig. 37) are low plants (in the 

 tropics sometimes tall) with straight stems and whorled 

 branches, the branches resembling Pine leaves. The 

 spore-cases are borne on scales, collected into cone-like 

 shapes, still further increasing the resemblance to Pines. 

 They love temperate regions. 



They have little economic value ; their stems, which contain silica, 

 are used for polishing wood and metals ; they are thence called Scouring 

 Rushes. 



