xlii 
CLASSIFICATIONS OF ORDERS AND GENERA. 
such as have more or less obvious flowers, and in which fertilization is effected 
by pollen (shed by the stamens) falling on the stigma of the pistil, which 
contains the ovules, or on the ovule itself. The effect of this fertilization is, 
that the ovule ripens into a seed, which consists of one or more integuments 
enclosing an embryo or rudimentary plant. This embryo, again, consists of 
distinct parts, from which in germination the stem and leaves are developed 
upwards, and the root downwards. Cryptogamic plants have no such appa- 
ratus, no obvious flowers, no stamens nor pistil nor ovule, nor have their 
seeds any distinguishable integuments or embryo. Their fertilization is effected 
in a very different manner, by most minute organs, extremely difficult to dis- 
cover ; and they are propagated chiefly by minute spores, or microscopic glo- 
bular or angular bodies, usually without integument, and never containing 
an embryo. When the spore germinates, it is by growth from any point of its 
surface, As a rule, all commonly recognized trees, shrubs, and herbs belong 
to Phsenogams, or flowering plants, whilst Cryptogams include Ferns, Lyco- 
pods, Mosses, Hepaticae, Lichens, Fungi, and Algae ; of these the Ferns and 
Lycopods have leaves and branches more or less resembling those of Phae- 
nogams (but never flowers) ; the remainder are successively less and less 
like flowering plants, till we arrive at some of the lowest forms of Fungi and 
Algae, which are with difficulty to be distinguished from the lowest forms of 
animal life. 
The only New Zealand Phaenogam that can be mistaken for a Cryptogam 
is Lenina (p. 277); and the Cryptogams which most nearly approach Phae- 
nogams are Lycopods, which have much of the habit of miniature Conifers, 
and are often furnished with cones also : these resemblances are, however, 
mainly in appearance. 
The Cryptogams are a special study of great difficulty ; and it will take 
time and research, and the collection of many specimens, before the student 
can make much progress in a knowledge of any of the Cryptogamic Orders 
except Ferns. 1 confess to having found very great difficulty in so describing 
the plants of any Cryptogamic Orders that a student shall readily name a 
specimen by this book; and with regard to Fungi, and certain divisions of 
the other Orders, as the crustaceous Lichens, freshwater, filamentous, unicel- 
lular and other Algae, no descriptions alone will suffice either to give the un- 
instructed student a general accjuaintance with the subject, or to enable him 
to name an isolated species. To understand these plants, good magnified 
drawings are essential; and indeed the same may be said for all departments 
of Cryptogamic botany after the Lycopods. I would recommend the student 
who is disposed to study Mosses, Hepaticae, Lichens, Algae, and Fungi, to 
take up one of these Orders at a time, to dissect, magnify,* and draw the 
organs of fructification (in all stages) of a good many species, before attempt- 
ing to name any by this book. Should he have access to the ‘ Botany of the 
Antarctic Voyage,- he will find in all its parts (Antarctic Flora, Flora of New 
* For this purpose, a good “simple microscope,” with powers of £ in., ^ in., in., and 
U- in. (the 2 latter Coddington lenses), is sufficient ; such may be had of Ross, optician, 
Featherstone Buildings, Ilolborn, for about £4. 10,s. Triangular-pointed (glovers’) needles 
stuck in a handle, and a small keen-edged knife (such as are used in eye-operations) are the 
best instruments for ordinary purposes to dissect with ; they are easily sharpened on a 
whetstone. 
