﻿THE 
  STEM 
  AND 
  THE 
  LEAF 
  

  

  73 
  

  

  on 
  vertical 
  and 
  on 
  horizontal 
  branches, 
  that 
  they 
  lie 
  flatways 
  

   to 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  do 
  not 
  overshadow 
  each 
  other. 
  The 
  way 
  in 
  

   which 
  these 
  results 
  are 
  secured 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  opposite 
  leaves 
  

   is 
  well 
  shown 
  in 
  figures 
  39, 
  52, 
  and 
  53. 
  

  

  71. 
  Rosette 
  plants. 
  Some 
  plants, 
  such 
  as 
  the 
  dandelion 
  and 
  

   the 
  plantains, 
  have 
  their 
  leaves 
  spread 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  a 
  

  

  FIG. 
  56. 
  Poison 
  ivy, 
  a 
  root 
  climber 
  

   Reduced 
  

  

  rosette 
  at 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  an 
  extremely 
  short 
  stem, 
  which 
  people 
  

   usually 
  suppose 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  crown 
  of 
  the 
  root. 
  Rosette-formers 
  

   and 
  some 
  other 
  kinds 
  of 
  plants 
  (figs. 
  54 
  and 
  55) 
  are 
  therefore 
  

   often 
  incorrectly 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  stemless. 
  During 
  the 
  first 
  year 
  

   of 
  growth 
  from 
  the 
  seed 
  a 
  good 
  many 
  biennials, 
  like 
  the 
  com- 
  

   mon 
  evening 
  primrose 
  (fig. 
  55), 
  beets, 
  carrots, 
  and 
  parsnips, 
  

   form 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  perfect 
  rosette 
  crowning 
  a 
  stout, 
  fleshy 
  

   root. 
  The 
  second 
  year 
  they 
  produce 
  a 
  tall, 
  leafy 
  stem, 
  then 
  

   blossom 
  and 
  bear 
  seeds. 
  In 
  rosette 
  plants 
  the 
  leaf 
  is 
  usually 
  

  

  