Volume 9 



Number 1 



The Plant World 



91 iHaja^inr of popular ^otanp 

 JANUARY, 1906 



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TWIGS OF WOODY PLANTS. \%S^ ' '^'^^^ 



By a. S. Hitchcock, ■"^■ 



United States Dcpartjncnt of Agriculture. 



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The amateur botanist of the nortliern states who is particularly 

 interested in field work often regrets that he is obliged to suspend 

 collecting during the winter months. It is true that there is 

 opportunity for him who seeks fungi, lichens, and mosses, de- 

 pending somewhat upon the amount of snowfall. But the col- 

 lector of phanerogams sees his most interesting laboratory closed 

 for the season and turns to the lower plants as a temporary pas- 

 time to occupy his time until the advent of spring when his seri- 

 ous work begins. Such collectors may busy themselves to ad- 

 vantage during winter by studying deciduous trees and shrubs in 

 their winter condition. I wish to say a few words here to teach- 

 ers and amateurs who are not familiar with the twig characters of 

 woody plants and who would like to know how such plants may 

 be identified during their dormant period. The twig characters 

 suffice to distinguish readily all except closely allied species. 

 Even of the latter there are very few cases in which the species 

 can not be distinguished by a careful study of the twigs and the 

 aspect of the whole plant. 



Space will not permit of the presentation of a scheme of classi- 

 fication, but we may look somewhat in detail at the characters 

 that would be used in such a scheme. A twig is the portion of 

 the growth in length of the woody stem which has taken place 

 during the preceding season ; an older portion would be a branch- 



