THE NATURAL SYSTEM. 117 
Now viewing this as one grand whole, we want to divide it 
into two subkingdoms. How shall we do it ? 
250. Every attentive observer has noticed that some of 
these plants produce no flowers; as, ¢ g., the Ferns and 
Mosses. Let us then take all such plants and consider them 
as forming one sub-kingdom, viz., the Frowrriess Puants 
All other plants will of course constitute the other sub-king 
dom, v7z., the Frowrrine Prants. Botanists call the latter 
the Phanogamia, and the former, the Cryptogamia (Greek 
words of the same import). 
251. Now these two sub-kingdoms have other 
distinctions besides flowering and not-flowering. 
See the fruit-dots growing on the back of Fern 
leaves. The microscope shows them to be clusters 
3 of hollow cases, and each ease filled with a fine 
sallow dust. But this dust is not seeds, with 
Ey embryo, radicle, &c. (Less. 24), but little sacs, 
containing: a fluid, similar to the pollen grains 
(Less. 15). We callthem Sporrs. See, also, the 
Mushrooms having no leaves, and the Lichens 
Some of the Cryptogams.—F%g. 355. A Fern, showing the fruit dots. Figs. 356, 357 
858, are Lichens, some appearing to have stems, and some with no appearance af any 
250. Please distinguish the}two subkingdoms. The meaning of Crypto- 
gamia? Phenogamia? 251. What about the Spores of Ferns, &.? 
