CRYPTOGAMS. 
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tearic acid, 1 per cent. ; several organic acids, as oxalic 
and fumaric; cellulose, about 15 per cent.; and sugar. 
IV. MOSS-LIKE PLANTS. 
The moss-like plants or Musci include the liverworts 
and mosses, and are distinguished from the preceding 
groups in that the higher forms possess stem and leaves. 
They do not, however, develop true roots or fibrovas- 
cular bundles. 
The mosses are interesting on account of the same 
plant having two periods in its life-history. The sexual 
generation, or what is usually known as the moss-plant, 
develops from an asexual spore and bears the organs 
of reproduction in the upper portion, and from which, 
after fertilization, the asexual generation bearing the 
capsule is produced. From the latter arise asexual 
spores which, on germination, give rise to the first or 
sexual generation. 
V FERN-LIKE PLANTS. 
The fern-like plants, or Pteridophyta, are distin- 
guished from the mosses by possessing not only stems 
and leaves but roots also. They are also known as 
vascular cryptogams because they develop both tra- 
cheids and sieve-tubes. The life-history of the plants of 
this group is similar to that of the mosses ; the sexual 
generation, however, consists of a rather diminutive 
plant, from the egg cell of which, after fertilization, 
develops a rather large perennial plant consisting of 
rhizome, roots, and prominent leaves, on the latter of 
which are borne the sporangia containing asexual 
spores, and from which, on germination, arises the first 
or sexual generation consisting of a more or less undif- 
ferentiated thallus. 
The vascular cryptogams include four prominent 
