The Plant 
49 
ANNUALS 
The very name suggests what they are — yearly plants. 
That is, the seeds are sown, the plants attain their full 
growth, flower, produce seeds, and then die down all in 
the one season ; hence their name. There are a great 
many plants of this description in our gardens, such as 
Candytuft, Mignonette, &c., among the flowers, and Peas, 
Beans, &c., among the vegetables. 
BIENNIALS 
Again the name suggests the kind of plant — two-year 
plants. That is, the seed is sown one season, the seeds 
germinate, and the plants make considerable growth, but 
it is not until the second season that they complete their 
growth, and produce seeds, after which they die down en- 
tirely. Such plants are: Canterbury Bells, Foxgloves, &c., 
among flowers; and Carrots, Turnips, Onions, Leeks, &c., 
among the vegetable plants. 
PERENNIALS 
Perennial plants are those that live more than two 
years. This is a very large class of plants, and must be 
divided into two divisions: (a) Herbaceous perennials. 
Such plants have herbaceous roots and annual stems. 
When the seed of such plants is sown, it grows up and 
produces flowers the same year, after which the stems die 
down, but the roots remain alive in the soil during - the 
winter, and, from buds on its crown, produce stems the 
following season, which in turn produce flowers and seed, 
( C 525 ) 5 
