together, or into the same group ; nntl plants closely related 

 were sometimes widely separated — in other word.j, the 

 classification was far iroiu being natural; it was artificial. 

 By taking into account all the characters of the adult 

 form, and its development, or embryonic changes it passes 

 through to reach that form, an approximation to a natural 

 system of classification can be made, even in the present 

 state of botanical science. Many of the lower plants are 

 as yet very imperfectl}'' understood, and, therefore, not 

 really classifiable. They have been temporarily placed in 

 a separate division, called Protophyta (.Gr. protos, first, 

 simple ; phi/ton, plant). 



DIVISIONS. 



154. The Vegetable Kingdom may be grouped into the 

 following Divisions : 



1. Protophyta, such as Slime-Moulds, Bacteria, Yeast- 

 plant, etc. 



2. Zygosporese (Gr. zugon, yoke), Water-net, Dia- 

 toms, Spirogyra, Moulds, etc. 



3. Oosporeae (Gr. oon, egg), Peronospora, Fucus, 

 Sargassum, etc. 



4. Carposporeee (Gr. Icarpos, fruit), Erysiphe, Lichens, 

 Wheat Rust, Toad-stools, etc. 



5. Bryophyta (Gr. bryon, moss). Mosses and Liver- 

 worts. 



6. Pteridophyta (Gr. pteron, wing), the Ferns. 



7. Phanerogamia (Gr.p/jfflifjos, visible; jromos, union), 

 ordinary flowering plants, herbs, shrubs, etc. 



The first four groups are called Thallophyta (Gr. iliallos, 

 frond), or plants without distinction of stem and leaves ; 

 and the last three groups are called Connoplujta (Gr. 



