On mildew and fermentation / by A. de Bary.

  • Bary, A. de (Anton), 1831-1888.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On mildew and fermentation / by A. de Bary. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    vegetable kingdom. A great number of plants are always entirely destitute of chlorophyll or an equivalent colour, and are in consequence of this deprived of the power to produce or- ganic matter from unorganic raw material. Therefore, like to the animals, it is allowed to them to make use of already existing or- ganic substances for their existence, which is derived directly or indirectly from green vegetation. They do not thrive in that soil which proceeds from the disintegration of the stones, and is simply saturated with water and surrounded by air, which is sufficient for the green vegetable kingdom; but they require much more an already prepared fostering soil, made from the organic bodies of plants and animals. They settle themselves thus either on the h'ving organism itself as parasites, or on their withered parts and products, which have fallen into de- cay, as putrified plants, Saprophytes. The most diverse classes and divisions of the vegetable kingdom, furnish their contingent to the vegetation which is free from chlorophyll. In tropical climates, floriferous para- sitical plants of many various forms are found, which have no green colour, and in our country the Orobache, which grows on hemp, tobacco and trefoil, and the dodder (Cusacta) are examples which are universally known. There are also specimens of Saprophytes which have no chlorophyll, among the most various kinds of floriferous plants, such as heaths, gentian, orchidias etc. Of our native plants, we can bring forward the Bird's Nest (Neottia nidus avis), and the yel- low birdsnest (Monotropa), a parasitical plant growing on the decayed stumps of trees in fir woods, as the well-known in- habitants of mouldering wood-grounds. By far the greater number of plants which are free from chlorophyll, belong to the non-floriferous cryptogainic species