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plant-crystals under the single term of raphides. Very likely 
those so early mentioned by Rafn in Euphorbiaceae were 
only the starch-rods which I have described in the latex of 
the British Sponges (‘Ann. Nat. Hist.,’ March, 1862). 
Other observers, truly finding either crystal prisms or ra- 
phides in many bulb-scales, by some mistake mentioned the 
Tulip ; whereas, though either crystal prisms or raphides 
occur in the bulbs or their scales of numerous common En- 
dogens, these crystals are not regularly present in any part 
of the Tulip, nor are the Allies: raphis-bearing plants, though 
we have seen how plentiful in the bulb-scales of this family 
are crystal prisms. And as to such statements, in books on 
the microscope, that “ Monocotyledons generally” abound in 
raphides, and that “ there are few of the higher plants in 
which they are not found,” it is obvious that many different 
kinds of crystals must have been, as they too often still are, 
confounded under the one term, and that the observations are 
otherwise vague or loosely recorded. Though, as we have 
seen, raphides are abundant in our Monocotyledons, there 
are immense sections of this class nearly or quite devoid of 
them, and by no means rich in other crystals. Had the ob- 
servers duly distinguished the different forms of crystals, and 
instead of examining the very common raphis-bearing Mono- 
cotyledons, confined their attention to the Grasses, Sedges, 
Rushes, Pondweeds, Water Plantains, Hydrocharids, and 
Water Starworts, the regular deficiency of raphides in such 
a great proportion of the class would have been duly dis- 
covered and recorded. I have for years vainly searched 
these abundant and familiar plants for raphides, which are 
always present in other equally common species, growing in 
the very same places ; in short, always proving such facts as 
raphis-bearing Duckweed and exraphidian Water Starwort 
close together in the pool, raphis-bearing Orchids and ex- 
raphidian Grasses with their roots intermingled in the 
field. 
V. Use of Plant-Crystals. — Although the precise use 
of these crystals in the vegetable economy may be obscure, 
.it is plain that whatever is constant in the plant must be 
important, and by no means necessarily of little importance 
because of such obscurity. Poor Charlotte Smith, who loved 
plants so well and truly, sung of them — 
“ All are for use, for health, for pleasure given, 
All speak in various ways the bounteous hand of heaven.” 
And when wc consider how commonly plant-crystals are 
