58 THE GROWTH AND PARTS OF PLANTS 
in supporting the plant and in holding the trunk or 
stem upright. Another important work is the taking 


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Fic. 88. Root 
hairs of sun- Fic. 89. Root 
flower seed- hairs of rad- 
ling. ish seedling. 


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soil particles. 
Is necessary then 
for the root hairs 
Fic.90, 0 fix themselves 
Root hairs 
of maize Wery closely and 
seedling 
grown under 
glass, 
of earth will be clinging 
F} not be washed off. This 
| hairs cling so firmly 
This 1s seen in Fig. 
is only moist the water 
= thin film, as thin as the 
= ble, which lies on \ 
the surface of the | a =) 
tightly aga in sf, maize seedling pulled from ground. 
the soil particles, so that. they may come 
in close contact with this film of water. 
up of water and of food solutions 
from the soil. In the absorption 
of water from the soil the root 
hairs of plants play a very active 
part. Pull up some of the seed- 
lings growing in the soil and rinse 
the roots in water. If the smaller 
roots have not been broken off in 
pulling up the plant, particles 





to them which can- 
is because the root 
| tothe soil particles. 
91. When the soil 
in it forms a very 
film of a soap bup- 
It 
Fic. 91. Soil clinging to root hairs on & 
