FIGURE OF LEAVES. 12? 



Chinese Mulberry is a very striking example of thi~ 

 diversity, having scarcely two leaves of the same form. 

 Students should be aware of this, or they will not un- 

 derstand why the Leaves of the Sassafras are describ- 

 ed as ovate and lobed, while those of the Moon-seed 

 are cordate and angular. 



The following varieties of simple leaves are divided 

 by incisures, more or less deep, into several lobes or 

 segments, forming a connecting link between the en- 

 tire and the compound leaves. 



In the Sinuate of Scolloped leaf, Fig. 36, these in- 

 cisures are curved, and the segments are either round- 

 ed or acute. The Oaks furnish us with numerous ex 

 am pies. 



A Runcinate leaf Fig. 37, is cut into numerous trans- 

 verse acute segments, which point towards its base as 

 in the Dandelion. 



The segments of a Lyrate leaf are transverse, the 

 terminal one being rounded and much larger than the 

 others. It occurs in the wild and cultivated Radish. 



The Palmate leaf, Fig. 38, so named from its re- 

 semblance to the open hand, has five or seven project- 

 ing segments or fingers ; as in the Castor-Oil plant and 

 Blue Passion flower. 



The Lobed leaf, Fig. 39, has curved or rounded seg- 

 ments, with incisures less deep than in the succeeding 

 variety. The Noble Liverwort and Sassafras are good 

 examples. 



The Cleft leaf has straight incisures and segments ter- 

 minating acutely ; and the Parted has incisures extend- 

 ing very nearly to its base. Fig. 40. The Cranes- 

 bill will serve to exemplify each variety. 



In using these terms, it is oft^n necessary to express 

 the number of lobes or segments, and hence we have 



