66 JBotani? 



In some leaves the edge is waved in large scallops, 

 as in the nasturtium ; others have smaller, rounded 

 scallops ; some are edged in sharp points, setting 

 straight out or forward or hackward. Some leaves 

 are more or less deeply lobed, like those of the 

 maple, oak, currant ; some look as if pieces had been 

 deeply cut awa}'-, almost to the mid-rib ; others are 

 slit or cleft, but not cut out. The castor-bean has 

 its leaves divided entirely down to the mid-rib. 

 Some leaves have the lobes spread out like an open 

 hand ; others are divided like feathers. 



A compound leaf is a large leaf made up of many 

 little leaflets, as those of the locust and rose. The 

 horse-chestnut leaf has five divisions, the clover 

 three ; the meadow rue, maiden-hair fern, and honey- 

 locust have many. Sometimes, as in the pea and 

 vetch, the end leaflet of a compound leaf is turned 

 into a tendril or two for climbing purposes. 



The footstalk holding the leaf to the main stem is 

 generally short ; sometimes it is very long, and used 

 as a tendril for a climbing plant, being wrapped 

 around and around some support. Some leaves are 

 sessile or without footstalk, sitting close upon the 

 main stem, or the branch. Other leaves seem to 

 have the stem thrust right through their lower 

 portion, as in the wild l)ell-wort. In such case the 

 lobes of the leaf have grown together, clasping the 



