8 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS. 



Transpiration. The water absorbed by the roots by 

 ordinary leafy plants is usually in excess of the plant's 

 requirements, except in dry countries like South 

 Africa, as the amount of mineral matters taken up is 

 extremely minute. This water is disposed of under 

 sunlight by means of the leaves. It is not the same 

 thing as Evafporation, which is caused by heat. If a 

 few fresh leaves be put into two tumblers, and one be 

 placed in the sun, upside down, on a table, the other 

 being put in total darkness, dew will quickly appear 

 upon the inside of the first tumbler, but not on the 

 other. 



Cape Colony being remarkable for drought, nature 

 adopts various means, as we shall see, to stop the too 

 great 'loss of water, and to store it up in various ways 

 against the dry season. Leaves can also absorb dew by 

 means of the hairs with which many are provided. 



Reproductive Organs. — The flowering process of 

 plants is called the Inflorescence. The flowering shoots 

 of some plants bear only one flower at a time, as the 

 Eose and Water-lily ; but others have many grouped 

 together in several ways on a common stem. Thus 

 each flower of Ox!alis cer'nua has its own little stalk or 

 Pedicel ; but all the pedicels proceed from the end of the 

 main stalk, or Peduncle, together. Such an arrangement 

 is called a simjde Umhel. If they radiate hviee^ it is 

 called a compo^ind Umhel, as in the carrot. 



Now let us examine a flower. First there is the 



