CONCERNING THE R.+DT. 



103 



LESSON XXVII. 



CONCERNING THE AXV OP THE ANT J 



216. The term ax:: ex- 

 presses the central column 

 or body of the : ^aint around 

 which the branches and 

 other organs are arranged. 

 As we have already no- 

 ticed, the ax grows and 

 extends in ' two directions, 

 — upwards and downwards. 

 The ascending part is the 

 stein, the descending part 

 is the root.' The former 

 loves and seeks the air and 

 light, the latter the dark, 

 damp bosom of the earth. 



217. The Root serves the 

 twofold purpose of fixing 

 the plant firrnly in its place, 

 and of imbibing the neces- 

 sary food from the soil. 

 The food when thus im- 

 bibed is never in a solid 



Fiff. S31. An entire plant (Shep- 

 herd's-purso), showing the axis (a 

 to r). The part from c to »• is the 

 descending a.\is, or root; from cto a 

 the ascending axis, or stem ; i, 6, 

 branches, bearing racemes of flowers 

 and frait. 



SSlO. 



