ESSEI^TIALS OF BOTAJSTY 



INTRODUCTION 



Botany is the science of plants. It considers them as 

 individuals, treating of their development, form, structure, 

 and functions, and also as dwellers in plant communities, 

 with complicated relations to each other and the world 

 about them. One important division of the science, 

 taxonomic botany, deals with plants as members of the 

 plant kingdom and discusses their kinship, tracing their 

 descent from remote common ancestors. 



The study of botany may well begin with a rapid exam- 

 ination of one of the higher plants, to get an idea of its 

 parts and their connection. Later on, some or all of the 

 topics above suggested may be entered upon as fully as 

 can be done in the time available for the entire subject 

 of botany. Finally, a brief study may be undertaken of 

 some of the uses of plants to man, that is, of the rudiments 

 of economic botany. 



The Nasturtium (Tropaeolum).i 



^1. The Entire Plant. Dig up a plant so as to preserve most of the 

 larger roots and wash the earth from them. Note the three sets of 



1 Any seed-plant of convenient size, with rather large and conspicuous 

 flowers, will answer for this study. Some of the most available types for use 

 at the beginning of the school year are Petunia, Ipomosa, Salvia, Pelargonium, 

 Impatieiis, ilimulus, Llnaria, Aiitiri'hinum. 



1 



