46 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



cut. They are called lobed, parted, or divided, according to 

 the depth of the incisions. 



The leaflets of a compound leaf are attached by a little 

 hinge or joint. Leheckia Biearifolia has but one leaflet. The 

 hinge at the base tells that it is a compound leaf which has 

 become reduced to a single leaflet. Other Lebeckias have 



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Fig. 54. — Banana leaves torn by the wind. 



Fig. 55.— Compound leaf of Orange 

 with one leaflet. 



several leaflets. The same is true of the orange and lemon 

 leaf. The trifoliate orange has three leaflets. 



The Arrangement of Leaves on the Stem. — We have 

 seen that leaves are not well developed when covered from the 

 light. Light is necessary for green leaves to do their 

 work, which is to make food for the plant. Too much 

 light prevents leaves from making food. If we bear in 

 mind these two facts, it will help to explain the meaning of 

 the forms and arrangement of leaves. 



