MORPHOLOGY 



Saprophytes are rare among higher plants. Some 

 of the Orchidaceae and several forest trees are wholly 

 or partially restricted to a saprophytic mode of nutri- 

 tion ; but the Fungi amongst the Thallophyta afford 

 some common examples of saprophytes, such as 

 banger-chhata or Toadstool (fig. 5), which grows 

 on dunghills, rotten timber, and straw; and common 

 chhata or Mould {Mucor), which clothes the surface 

 of stale curds, stale bread, wet shoes, dung-cakes, &c. 



Symbiotic and in- 

 sectivorous plants 

 will be referred to 

 in a subsequent sec- 

 tion. 



We have seen that 

 ordinarily the body 

 of a plant has four 

 distinct members or 

 parts, namely, root, 

 stem, leaf, and 

 flower. Of these 

 members the root 

 and the stem usually form a central axis, and leaves 

 are attached to the stem as lateral appendages. The 

 stem with its attached leaves goes by the name of 

 the SHOOT. 



The members of the plant body may be studied 

 from two points of view: first, as to their mode of 

 origin and development, their situation with respect 

 to one another, and their external forms and internal 

 structure; and, secondly, as to the functions which 

 these members perform in the life-history of the 

 plant. The study of a plant from the first point of 

 view is known as Morphology, and the study from 

 the second point of view is known as Physiology. 



Fig. s. — Banger-chhata or Toadstool 



