Introduction

A CONDENSED BOTANY; DESIGNED AS A TEXT^BOOK FOR COMMON SCHOOLS, AND AN ELEMENTARY WORK.IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND ACADEMIES, BY JOSEPH A. SEWALL, M. D., Professor of Natural Sciences in Illinois State Normal University. CHICAGO: GEO. SHERWOOD & CO. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872, By GEORGE SHERWOOD & CO., In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. PREFACE. This book, though Elementary, is not designed for Primary Schools particularly, neither is it expected that it will take the place of such works as are intended for the classes of Seminaries and Colleges. It has been prepared with special reference to the wants and demands of the, boys and girls of our Common Schools. It is not reasonable to suppose that any considerable number of the pupils, whether in the country or in the town, will become skilled botanists; yet it is possible for the gfeat majority of them to obtain some knowledge of the Plan of Vegetation. I have aimed to use but few words, feeling assured, that if concise and exact statements and definitions are carefully studied, the subjects treated of may be fully understood. A comparatively full Glossary, or Dictionary of Terms, is added, for the convenience of the pupil. The Illustrations, all of which are from nature, are from the pencil of Mrs. F. Pierce Smith, of Bloomington ; and the Engravings by A. Maas, Chicago. The Table of Contents will assist both teacher and learner in fixing upon the more important points of each lesson, and will be particularly useful in reviews. Normal, July 8, 1872. J. A. SEWALL. TABLE OF CONTENTS. LESSON I. Botany Defined. Different forms of Vegetation. Parts of a Plant. Root. Stem. Leaves. - - - - 13 LESSON IL Kinds of Leaves. Parallel-veined, Net-veined ; Radiate and Feather-veined Leaves. - - - .. 17 LESSON III. Forms of Leaves as to General Outline ; as to the Margin as to the Base; as to the Apex. Compound Leaves, Perfoliate Leaves. Equitant Leaves. - - - - 20 LESSON IV. Arrangement of Leaves. Opposite, Alternate. The Mathematics of Leaf-Arrangement. - - - - 42 LESSON V. The Stem. Buds. Root-stock. Tubers. Corms. Run- ners. Suckers. Stolons. Thorns. Bulbs. Bulblets. 45 LESSON VL Roots. Simple Primary ; Multiple Primary. Secondary. Epiphytes; Parasites. -.- - - - -56 Vi CONTENTS. LESSON VII. The Flower. Terminal; Axillary. Indefinite Flowering; Definite Flowering. Peduncle and Pedicel. Raceme. Corymb. Umbel. Spike. Head. Catkin. Panicle. Cyme. Fascicle. Glomerule. - - - - - 59 LESSON VIII. The Parts of the Flower. Essential Organs. Floral Envelopes. Calyx. Sepals. Corolla. Petals. Stamens. Pistils. Receptacle. - -' - - - - - 69 LESSON IX. The Plan of the Flower. Perfect. � Complete. Regular. Symmetrical. Monoecious. Dioecious. Abortive Organs. Multiplication of Parts. - -- - - -7^ LESSON X. The For^s of the Flower. The Flower an ' Altered Branch. - - - - - � - - - 75 LESSON XI. The Pistil. Simple. Compound. Open. - - - 78 LESSON XII. The Fruit. Fleshy Fruits. Stone Fruits. Legume. Follicle. Strobile. - - Dry Fruits. - - -Si The Seed. LESSON* XIII. - - - -By CONTENTS. yii LESSON XIV. How Plants Grow. Growth, Cells. Cellular Tissue. Wood. Endogens. Exogens. - - - - - 88 LESSON XV. The Chemical Composition of Plants. Organic- Inor- ganic. Earth and Air the Food of Plants. - - - Cryptogamous Plants. - - - -- -92 Suggestions, Model Lessons, AND Examples, - - 93 GLOSSARY; Dictionary of Terms Used in Describing Plants. Abortive : imperfectly formed or rudimentary. Acheniutn : (plural Achenia^) a one-seeded, seed-like fruit. Aciiminate : taper-pointed. Acute : merely sharp-pointed, or ending in a point less than a right angle. Adventitious : ovX of the proper or usual place. Alt&nate (leaves) : one after another. Annual (plant) : flowering and fruiting the year it is raised from the seed, and then dying. Anther : the essential part of the stamen, which contains the pollen. Axil : the angle on the upper side between a leaf and the stem. Axillary (buds, etc.) : occurring in an axil. Berry : a fruit, pulpy or juicy throughout, as a grape. Bidnnial : of two years* continuance ; springing from the seed one season, flowering and dying the next. Blade of a leaf : its expanded portion. Bract : bracts are the leaves of an inflorescence, differing more or less from ordinary leaves. \yBractlet : a bract seated on the pedicel or flower-stalk. Bud : a branch in its earliest or undeveloped state. Bulb : a leaf bud with fleshy scales, usually subterranean. 10 SEWall's botany. Calyx : the outer set of the floral envelopes or leaves of the flower. Vatkin : a scaly, deciduous spike of flowers ; an ament. Cone : the fruit of the Pine family. Cordate : heart-shaped. Corm : a solid bulb, like that of the Crocus. Cordlla : the leaves of the flower within the calyx. Cdrymb : a flat or convex flower-cluster. Culm : a straw ; the stem of grasses and sedges. Cycle : one complete turn of a spiral or circle. Cyme : a cluster of centrifugal inflorescence. Dentate : toothed (from the Latin defis^ a tooth.) Dicecious : having the stamens and pistils in separate flowers. on different plants. Divided : cut into divisions extending about to the base or midrib. Dorsal : pertaining to the back. Elliptical : oval or oblong, with the ends regularly rounded. Entire : the margins not at all toothed, notched or divided, but even. Epiphyte : a plant growing on another plant, but not nourished by it. Filament : the stalk of a stamen. Fleshy : composed of firm pulp or flesh. Floral-envelopes : the leaves of a flower. Flower : the organs of reproduction (of flowering plants,) with their envelopes. Flower-bud : an unopened flower. Fruit : the matured ovary and all it contains or is connected with. ""Gldmerule : a dense head-like cluster. Herbaceous: of the texture of common herbage; not woody. GLOSSARY. 11 Imperfect (flower) : wanting either stamens or pistils. Incomplete (flower) : wanting calyx or corolla. Ifiiernode : the part of a stem between two nodes; Leaflet : one of the divisions or blades of a compound leaf. Linear : narrow and flat, with the margins parallel. Midrib : the middle or main rib of a leaf. Net-veined : furnished with branching veins forming net-work. Node : a knot; the "joints " of a stem, or the part whence a leaf or a pair of leaves spriijgs. Obcdrdate : heart-shaped, with the broad and notched end at the apex instead of the base. Obldnceolate : lance-shaped, with the tapering point downwards. Palmate : having the leaflets or the divisions of a leaf all spread from the apex of the petiole, like the hand with the outspread fingers. FMicel : the stalk of each particular flower 6f a cluster. Fediincle : a flower-stalk, whether of a single flower or of a flower- cluster. Peltate : shield-shaped ; said of a leaf, whatever its shape, when the petiole is attached to the lower side, within the margin. Perennial : lasting from year to year. Perfect {^owtx) : having both stamens and pistils. Perfdilate (leaf) : surrounding the stem at the base. Petal : a leaf of the corolla. Petiole : a foot-stalk of a leaf; a leaf-stalk. Pistil : the seed-bearing organ of the flower. Pollen : the fertilizing powder of the anther. 12 sewall's botany, Racime : a flower-cluster, with one-flowered pedicels arranged along the sides of a general peduncle. Recepta^de : tjje axis or support of a flower. Regular : having all the parts similar. Rib: the principal piece, or one of the principal pieces, of the fr^me-work of a leaf. Rootlets ': small roots or root-branches. Root-stock : root-like trunks or portions of stems on or under ground. Runner : a slander and prostrate branch, rooting at the end or at the joints,, as of a strawberry. Sepal : a leaf or division of the calyx. Separated Flowers : those having stamens or pistils only. Sessile : sitting ; without any stalk, as a leaf destitute of petiole,^ or an anther destitute of filament. Spike: an inflorescence like a raceme, only that the flowers are sessile. Stigma : the part of the pistil which receives the pollen. Style : a part of the pistil which bears the stigma. ^Sz^r^^/'j ; shoots from subterranean branches. Symmetrical (flower) : similar in the number of parts of each set. Tendril : a thread-shaped body used for climbing ; it is either a branch, as in Virginia Creeper, or a part of a leaf, as in the Pea. Terminal : boirne at or belonging to the extremity or summit. Tuber : a thickened portion of a subterranean stem or branch, provided with eyes (buds) on the sides. Umbel : the umbrella-like form of inflorescence. Veinlets : the smaller ramifications of veins. BOTANY. LESSON I. THE STUDY OF PLANTS. 1. When we examine Plants, to find out how they grow, how they are classed, what parts they are made up of, and what uses these parts serve, we are studying Botany. 2. If we look at the plants growing in the field or in the forest, we see that they differ greatly in form, in size, in the shape of the leaves, in the appearance of the flowers, and in the character of the fruit. Yet Ave shall observe that all plants are constructed on one simple plan.* 3. Each plant consists of Root, Stem and Leaves. We 4. find parts of the plant that take particular names, such as bud, flower, fruit, thorn, &c., that do not, at first sight at least, appear to be either root, stem or leaf ; but if we carefully study the plan of the plant, we shall discover that each of these is some form of root, stem or leaf, or some combination of these parts. 6. The Root is that part of the plant which grows downward^ commonly entering the soil, from which it takes nour- ishment. It branches indefinitely and without order^ hut hears no other appendages. Its ultimate branches are called Rootlets. Note. It would be well for the teacher to call attention to such planes as differ greatly : i. In form, o.^ the cabbage and 2l blade of grass. 2. In size, as the oak and the dandelion. 3. In the fiower, as the common plantain and the peony. 4. In the fruit, as the cherry and the squash. ROOT, STEM AND LEAVES. THE STUDY OF 1>LANTS. 15 6. The Stem is that part of the plant \t^hich commonly grows upward into the light and air, bearing leaves. It consists of a succession of leaf-bearing points, called Nodes, separated by naked joints, called Internodes. 7. Leaves are expanded appendages of the stem. They consist of loose cellular tissue, supported by a network of woody fiber, called Ribs or Veins, and are covered by a thin but quite firm skin, called Epidermis. 8. They are sometimes attached to the stem by a small gtalk, called the Petiole or leaf-stalk. The petiole sometimes bears, at its base, two small leaf-like bodies, called Stipules. LEAF. PETIOLE. STIPULES. 9. Some leaves have no leaf-stalk, but are borne directly on the stem* Most leaves are without stipules. 16 SEWALIi^S BOTA:c!nr, lO, ' The larger parts of the net-work of woody fiber are called ribs ; the smaller, veins ; and the smallest, veinlets. LEAVES. 17 LESSON 11. LEAVES. We 11. will examine the leaves first, as they are easily- seen and handled, and a^ they present a. greater variety of forms, and answer a greater variety of purposes, than do both of the other parts combined. PARALLEL-VEINED LEAF. 18 sewall's botany. NET-VEINED LEAF, LEAVES. 19 12. Take a leaf from a corn-stalk; tear it. You will observe that it will split or tear quite easily in one direction from end to end. If yon look carefully at the leaf, you will see that there are many small ridges or ribs running in the same direction, parallel to each other. Such leaves are called Parallel-veined, FEATHER-VEINED LEAF. 13. Take the leaf of a maple or of a squash vine, and tear it. You will observe that it, will not