[51. Absorption by the duck-meats.]—These plants are very curious examples of the higher plants.
Lemna.—One of these is illustrated in [fig. 37]. This is the common duckweed, Lemna trisulca. It is very peculiar in form and in its mode of growth. Each one of the lateral leaf-like expansions extends outwards by the elongation of the basal part, which becomes long and slender. Next, two new lateral expansions are formed on these by prolification from near the base, and thus the plant continues to extend. The plant occurs in ponds and ditches and is sometimes very common and abundant. It floats on the surface of the water. While the flattened part of the plant resembles a leaf, it is really the stem, no leaves being present. This expanded green body is usually termed a “frond.” A single rootlet grows out from the under side and is destitute of root hairs. Absorption of water therefore takes place through this rootlet and through the under side of the “frond.”
Fig. 37.
Fronds of the duckweed (Lemna trisculca).
Fig. 38.
Spirodela polyrhiza.
52. Spirodela polyrhiza.—This is a very curious plant, closely related to the lemna and sometimes placed in the same genus. It occurs in similar situations, and is very readily grown in aquaria. It reminds one of a little insect as seen in [fig. 38]. There are several rootlets on the under side of the frond. Absorption of water takes place here in the same way as in lemna.
53. Absorption in wolffia.—Perhaps the most curious of these modified water plants is the little wolffia, which contains the smallest specimens of the flowering plants. Two species of this genus are shown in [figs. 39-41]. The plant body is reduced to nothing but a rounded or oval green body, which represents the stem. No leaves or roots are present. The plants multiply by “prolification,” the new fronds growing out from a depression on the under side of one end. Absorption takes place through the under surface.
[54. Absorption by land plants.]—Water cultures.—In connection with our inquiry as to how land plants obtain their water, it will be convenient to prepare some water cultures to illustrate this and which can also be used later in our study of nutrition ([Chapter IX]).
