SEEDS. 3 



starchy or farinaceous. The seeds of the castor oil 

 plant are remarkable for their abundant albumen, which is 

 of a fatty nature, and produce the castor oil of commerce. 



The germination (growth) of a seed is the starting into 

 action of the principle of life which, if sound, it possesses. 

 In other words, it is the commencement of growth in the 

 sleeping germ of the future plant. 



Heat, moisture, and air are necessary for the proper ger- 

 mination of seeds. Many interesting experiments may be 

 performed to show the effect which the absence of one (or 

 more) of these elements has upon the progress of a germi- 

 nating seed. When totally deprived of them, seeds have 

 been known to preserve uninjured their power of germina- 

 tion for very many years. Reliance must not, however, be 

 too readily placed on all of the wonderful tales related 

 respecting the germination of seeds after the lapse of 

 centuries. The history of botany contains sufficient won- 

 ders to astonish and delight the student, without the intro- 

 duction of imperfectly authenticated or romantic assertions. 



When fully developed, the infant plant consists of — 

 i. Cotyledon or cotyledons (seed-leaves). 



2. Plumule (bud, or first stage of growth). 



3. Radicle (starting-point of the root). 

 Cotyledons are the seed-leaves or lobes of the young plant. 

 Flower-bearing (Phanerogamous) plants are divided into 



two great classes, according to the number of cotyledons 

 possessed by their seeds. Thus, plants belonging to the 

 monocotyledons have only one seed-leaf. Those belonging to 

 the dicotyledons have two seed-leaves. By differences in 

 seed, root, leaf, and stem, these two classes can generally be 

 determined. Monocotyledons, for instance, may usually be 



