"What is that Dr. Sandford?"
"Something wonderful."
"Is it? It is pretty. What is it, sir?"
[Illustration]
"It is a plant somewhere between the mosses and the lichens in its
character--it is one of the liverworts, and they are some of the first
plants to go in advance of superior vegetation. This is called
_Marchantia_."
"And is it wonderful, Dr. Sandford?"
"If I could shew it to you, you would think so. Look here, Daisy--on the
surface of this leaf do you see little raised spots here and there?"
"Yes, I see them."
"Those are, when they are finished, little baskets."
"Baskets?" exclaimed Daisy delightedly. "I can't see anything like a
basket now."
"No, it is too small for you to see; you must take it on my word, who
have seen it. They are baskets, and such baskets as you never dreamed
of. The shape is elegant, and round the edge, Daisy, they are cut into a
fringe of teeth, and each tooth is cut again into teeth, making a fringe
around _its_ tiny edge."
"I wish I could see it," said Daisy.
"Now if you were my little sister, and lived with me, I could shew you
these things in the evenings."
Daisy responded to this with a very grateful and somewhat wistful smile,
but immediately went on with the business in hand.
"Do these little baskets hold anything, Dr. Sandford"
"Yes. Baskets are always made to hold something."
"What do they hold?"
"They hold what are called _spores_; that is, little bits of things
which, whenever they get a chance, begin to grow and make new plants.
Pages:
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102