16 



OBQANOGBAPBY. 



hair-like in shape, often very small, but they are some- 

 times long, and may form a dense covering, and hence 

 afford protection for the plant. They may also take the 

 shape of scales, glands, bristles, prickles, etc. 



THE ROOT; 

 6. The Root is present in nearly all of the higher 

 ^ plants, as trees, shrubs, and herbs, 



but wanting in Mosses, Liverworts, 

 Fungi, and Algse. It is usually des- 

 titute of color, but may be brownish, 

 yellowish, reddish, though never 

 green. In case of some plants 

 (Mosses, Liverworts, etc.), there are 

 root-hairs, called rhizoids (Gr. rhiza, 

 root), which have the same function, 

 but not the same structure, as the 

 true roots. 



7. The root is generally found 

 underground, where it sends out 

 numerous branches, without any 

 particular order ; and these, in turn, 

 branch again and again into smaller 

 roots, called Rootlets. The plant 

 is thus firmly fixed in its place. 

 These rootlets, or their minute 

 branches, are covered with numer- 

 ous hairs, sometimes called firiUce 

 (Fig. 1). 



In Fig. 2 the terminal portion 

 of a rootlet, "with root-hairs much magnified, is shown. In 



Fig. 1. Wheat in different stages (I, II, III, IV) of germination : r, root With 

 root-hairs ; j, particles of adhering soil; st, stem. 



