THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



Plants Growing From Leaves. 



Leaves seem about the last thing 

 from which one would ever think that 

 plants might grow. One would as soon 

 think that a plant might spring from the 

 bark. Leaves are the temporary ser- 

 vants of the plant, attending it during 

 its period of growth, but when they 

 have outlived their usefulness, they 

 wither and fall. It therefore seems es- 

 pecially astonishing that in the variet\' 

 of Nature's methods she has in some 

 plants acquired the hal^t of producing 

 subsequent generations from the leaves. 



THE BRYOPIlVlJ.LiM DROPS ITS LEAVES TO 

 GROW NEW PLANTS. 



THE LEAN'ES GROWING NEW PLANTS IN A 

 PAN OF EARTir. 



The live-for-ever plant, Byyof>/ixlliiiii 

 calycinuiii , has this habit. The leaves 

 fall when they are still green and in 

 good condition. When they touch the 

 ground or perhaps even before they fall, 

 the growth of tiny roots begins along 

 the edge. If these rootlets reach moist 

 earth, an upward shoot soon appears and 

 develops into a large and beautiful plant, 

 sometimes called the chandelier plant on 

 account of its numerous branches. 



Another remarkable characteristic 

 mentioned by liailey, the well-known 

 botanist, in his "Cyclopedia of Horticul- 

 ture." is that the leaves of the Bryophyl- 

 litin are sour in the morning, tasteless 

 at noon and bitter toward evening. He 

 attributes this to the absorption of oxy- 

 gen at night and its disengagement in 

 daylight. 



We suggest that our readers secure 

 leaves or specimens of this plant for ex- 

 periment. 



We will mail, well packed and post- 

 paid, a leaf from which several plants 

 may be grown, for twenty-five (25c) 

 cents. Address The Agassiz Associa- 

 tion. Arc Am A: Sound Beach, Conn. 



A leaf will be sent to any present sub- 

 scriber who will send a dollar for a new 

 subscription for one year. 



