THE SYCAMORE "KEY" 



heart it pushes forward a central branch that bears 

 beautifully-formed leaves in pairs along its length. 

 That tender little first branch may some day be 

 the great trunk of a bold sycamore tree several 

 feet in diameter and encased in strong bark. It 

 may hold above it huge branches bearing innumer- 

 able leaves, amongst which several men might 

 successfully hide ; but the root and leaves have 

 many years of persistent work to perform before 

 they will have completed. a structure of that size. 

 In Fig. 12 (Plate 9) w^e see the young branches 

 shooting forth from w^hat once were buds, and 

 spreading out their graceful leaves to capture still 

 more carbon and sunlight energy. 



When the tree gets on somewhat in years, 

 and has made its structure firm, other important 

 matters besides those of green leaves and branches 

 are developed. In Fig. 13 (Plate 8) is shown one 

 of these developments. Here we see a bud open- 

 ing and producing something more than green 

 leaves. In Fig. 14 (Plate 10) we see it at a later 

 stage, and there it becomes obvious that a pendent 

 stalk of flowers is being produced. By about the 

 middle of Ma)^ these flowers have reached their 

 perfection, and I would like you to investigate 

 them with me, not because they are at all striking 

 in beauty or colour (indeed they are small, green- 

 ish, and usually very sticky to the touch, and 

 therefore not particularly attractive as flowers), 

 but in order that I may show you how the 

 sycamore produces its winged seeds. 



We arrive at our sycamore tree, let us say, at 



23 



