42 ELEMENTARY ORGANS OP PLANTS. 



plants of a single cell. Here then we have vegetation reduced 

 to its simplest terms. The basis of the superstructure of the 

 whole vegetable world is a single cell. 



48. "Wc have seen that the fabric of plants is wholly made 

 up of cells, and that growth is simply the result of the evolu- 

 tion of new cells. The process of cell-growth, which is really 

 the key to much that remains mysterious in the fabrication of 

 plants, may be most successfully studied in these simple 

 plants. A review of the life of the cell, and of very simple 

 plants consisting of a few cells, must necessarily precede any 

 successful attempt at the comprehension of higher and more 

 complex vegetation. This has been felt to be the truth, and 

 hence this subject has recently taxed the powers of the ablest 

 minds. Much remains involved in obscurity; but scientific 

 and microscopical investigation of these humble plants has 

 already revealed many deeply interesting discoveries in refer- 

 ence to cell-growth, tending to throw light on the wonders and 

 beauties of the vegetable creation. 



49. Now as the plan of structure in the more highly organ- 

 ized and complex plants can only be understood by studying 

 the operations of nature in detail, as exemplified in the simpler 

 vegetable forms, we shall commence with these first, this being 

 plainly the most natural and philosophical method of investi- 

 gation. Let us begin, then, with 



50. Plants composed of a single cell. — Some of the lower 

 forms of the Algae and Fungi furnish us with examples of 

 plants thus organically simple, and they are especially inte- 

 resting, as furnishing us with the simplest indications of those 

 processes of cell-growlh and reproduction, on an accurate 



