THE GERMINATING PLANTLET 



1. One wing of maple seed, opened lengthwise to show position of seed in its pod. 2. Maple seed enlarged, showing the forming of the very earliest stage in 

 the coming plantlet. 3. Another enlarged seed, with the coming plant further along. 4. The first pair of leaves after the plantlet comes above the ground. 

 These first leaves in all plants are called cotyledons. 5. Shows the initial stemlet extending beyond the cotyledons, and the first minute leaflets developing. 

 6. The same plant later on. and 9, where the second pair of leaflets develop at right angles to the first pair. 7. Seed of beach tree, about natural size. 8. The 

 same, bisected horizontally to show the earliest stage of the germinating tree. 



Studying Plants in Winter 



J!v R. W. Shufeldt, M.D. 

 Editor of the Department of Floivers 



BEFORE touching upon the subject to be deah with 

 here, the very interesting and important one of 

 studying our flowering trees and plants during the 

 winter months, 1 desire to invite attention to the head- 

 piece and its legend, which appears at the beginning of 

 the article. This has been entitled " The Germinating 

 Plantlet," and is the first of a series of such cuts, of 

 which one will be thus introduced each month. One of 

 the most difficult things for the young or amateur botanist 

 to master are the terms employed in botanical works in 

 the descriptions given wild flowers. This list of terms, 

 or nomenclature of flowers and plants, is a very formi- 

 dable one, and one that has discouraged many a grown 

 person as well as young people from seriously entering 

 upon the study of wild flowers or taking up botany at all. 

 This is a great pity, and it will be my aim during the months 

 following to overcome, as far as possible, this difficulty. 



When a sage of yore remarked 

 that there is " no royal road to 

 knowledge," I am convinced he 

 must liave had the study of wild 

 flowers in mind; for surely botany 

 as a science absolutely bristles with 

 an almost endless terminology, for 

 which there are but very few com- 



mon English names, or, as we term 

 them, vernacular names. A good 

 example of this is seen in the cut 

 at the head of this article, in No. 4, 

 where I figure the cotyledons (cot- 

 v-le-dons) of a germinating plant. 

 There is no common name for this 

 pair of cotyledons, and it is im- 



ASK YOUR QUESTIONS 



THE editor of this department will 

 gladly answer questions of any mem- 

 ber of the American Forestry Asso- 

 ciation regarding wild or cultivated 

 flowers and there will be no charge for 

 the answers. 



Write the questions plainly and address 

 them to 



EDITOR, DEPT. OF FLOWERS, 

 American Forestry Association, 

 Washington, D. C. 



possible for one to write and talk about germinating 

 plants unless the term is used. And so it is all through 

 the study of wild flowers. I feel sure that the way I 

 have selected to help the reader to master the common 

 terms in botany will be accomplished as above pointed 

 out. The plan will tell with ever-increasing usefulness as 

 month after month this illustrated glossary will appear. 

 For example, next month this head-piece may present the 

 parts of a flower — an average flower — and the names of 

 those parts. This may be followed another month with 

 figures and names of the principal type-forms of the 

 leaves of wild flowers, or maybe the terminology of the 

 diiiferent kinds of roots that wild flowers have, and so 

 on. My hope is that this scheme will be found very 

 useful and helpful to teachers, and to others who may 

 use the articles in classes of young people and others 

 taking up the study of wild flowers. 



There is a great deal to learn 

 about plants, trees, and shrubs, in 

 addition to the mere florescence or 

 the blooming of flowers, but this 

 matter will not be taken up here at 

 the present time ; it will be grad- 

 uallv introduced as \arious articles 

 appear. 



In that enormous strip of coun- 

 try constituting the northern part 

 of the United States, south to an 

 east and west line, forming the 

 southern boundary, north of which 

 the winters are sufficiently cold to 

 check all plant and tree growth 

 entirely, the sap running down in 



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