166 



CHAPTER XVII. 



OF THE SEVERAL KINDS OF FULCRA, OR APPEN- 

 DAGES TO A PLANT. 



1 HE word Fulcrum, whose proper meaning is a prop 

 or support, has been applied by Linnaeus not only to 

 those organs of vegetables correctly so denominated, 

 such as tendrils, but also to various other appendages 

 to the herbage of a plant, none of which are universal, 

 or essential, nor is there any one plant furnished with 

 them all. I prefer the English term Appendages for 

 these organs in general, to Props, because the latter 

 applies only to one of them. Seven kinds of these 

 are distinguished by Linnaeus, nor do I find it neces- 

 sary to enlarge that number. 



1. Stipula. The Stipula, a leafy appendage to the 

 proper leaves or to their footstalks. It is commonly 

 situated at the base of the latter, in pairs, and is 

 extremely different in shape in different plants. 



The most natural and usual situation of the Sti- 

 pulas is in pairs, one stipula on each side of the base 

 of the footstalk, as in Lathjjrus latifolius, Engl. 

 Bot. t. 1108, whosestipulas are half arrow-shaped, 

 jf. 1 15 ; also in Willows, as Salia: stipularis, t, 1214, 

 and *S'. aurita, 1. 1487. In liosaj Potentilla^ and 



