p.13

13

The constituent elements of grasses may be regarded from several points of view.

The chemist will inform us that Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen are the Chief elements; that Potash, Sosa, Lime, Silica, &c are also found though constituting but a small proportion of the great bulk of the vegetable.

The vegetable anatomist will tell us that grasses like all other plants are made up of a series of minute cells having a number of most wonderful powers, and being compressed and grouped together so as to form certain shapes which we call stem, leaves, flowers, fruit, &c.-

The physiologist will divide each plant into a number of elementary plaullets, or phytons, represented by the bud; each of which is a distinct living organism, but associated together as to form a compound structure each dependent more or less upon the others like the structures reared by the coral insects of the tropical seas.

Roots of grasses are fibrous (annual or biannual)
stoloniferous, tuberous, creeping (rhizoma) perennial

The base of Phleum pralense may be considered a solid bulb or corm, and has the same nature.