448 



TIIALLOPIIYTES. 



more commonly from languishing, plauts and animals, or 

 •lse appropriate the organized matter of "dead and decaying 

 animal and vegetable bodies. Rust, smut and mildew, (Fig. 

 8,) are examples of the former, and mushroom, puff balls, 

 &c, of the latter. Fungi (Fig. 7,) are entirely destitute of 

 foliage and green matter, (chlorophyll,) which appears to be 

 esiential to the formation of organic- out af inorganic matter. 



142. The Order CffARACHBJB (Cliara Family,) consists of 

 a few aquatic plants, which have all the simplicity of the 

 lower Algae, in cellular structure, being composed of Bimpfc 

 tubular cells, placed end to end, and often with a set of 

 smaller tubes applied to- the surface or the imun one. Their 

 fructification consists of two kinds of bodies (shown in Fig. 

 ft,) of whiah the smaller is probably a mass of antherideoe, 

 of curious structure, while the upper and larger is a sporo* 

 carp formed of a budding cluster of leaves, wrapped around 

 a nucleus which is a spore or sporangium, 



143. The next vast Order or rather Class, Algeje, con- 

 lists mostly of aquatic plants-. Although they rise to forms 

 more simulating the higher grades of vegetation, and there- 

 fore should have been placed before the Fungi, yet, as they 

 descend to the very lowest point of the scale, they have beca. 

 placed the last in the series, 



S. 10. 



^f * 



?ig. 9. Branch of the common Chara, nearly (he natural size; a, a portion' 

 a»3g utied, showing the lateral tules inclosing - a central one: also a spore, inrefted 

 b_. a set of tubes twisted s-pirally atoned it, and with r.n aniheiidir.ni lorne. at .f3- 

 oase; b, a portion f f iLe lateral lute.' mere highly aiagiifcd. 



Fig. 10. a, summit of the frci d of hucus Toskttlotup; b. rne of theccntaine.i 

 globules; e, spores and jointid fill meats of which the gkbules ere ccniposcd: d, . 

 tii.nium glauci m, of HjiclI erg, wl o ih.Lhs it a ccrgcrks of in.in.aUuh s, v huV 

 it is dcsciiled bmh Alja ly Mejcn; e, Enaftium Cms Meliune-s: /. Mciidiorjr, 

 varoiilure : g. Lchinella f uU'llfcta,. J.' ik-'Ps a trcup of exiiLukuks. 



