THE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM 343 
to it. Traces of this flattening may be observed commonly 
even in the petiole on the upper or inner surface, especially 
near the base. These tests applied to the foliage of colum- 
bines, for example, will show why it must be considered as 
made up of branched leaves—decompound leaves with many 
leaflets—rather than a branched stem bearing many simple 
leaves. 
The stem and leaves of the marsh-marigold, as of marsh- 
loving plants in general, are quite smooth and unprovided 
with any hairy or other protective covering. Plants or parts 
in this condition are described as glabrous.1. When covered 
with soft, downy hair they are said to be pubescent.2. Many 
ranunculaceous plants, especially those growing in dry, sunny 
places (as for example the pasque-flower, the tall crowfoot, 
and the bulbous crowfoot) are pubescent, particularly when 
young. 
103. The reproductive system. Turning now to the 
flowers of the marsh-marigold it will be noticed that they 
grow either at the tip of the main axis or on stalks which 
arise from the axils of upper leaves. On the side of the 
flower-stalks, or subtending them, may be sessile leaves or 
more or less scale-like leaf-members. Such leaves subtending 
a flower or a flower-cluster are called bracts,’ or when borne 
upon a flower-stalk they are termed bractlets. The stalk of 
a flower or flower-cluster is distinguished as its peduncle.‘ 
We speak of a blossom or flower-cluster as an inflorescence. 
Thus we say that the inflorescence of the marsh-marigold 
consists of a terminal flower, and a few axillary ones, with 
bracts and sometimes bractlets. It should be noted that 
the terminal flower opens before the lateral ones, thus putting 
an end to further elongation of the main axis. Such an in- 
florescence is therefore called determinate. It is also de- 
scribed as cymose because the form of cluster which typically 
results from the determinate mode of growth is called a 
1Gla’-brous < L. glaber, without hair. 
2 Pu-bes’-cent < L. puber, downy. 
3 Bract < L. bractea, a thin plate. 
4Pe-dun’-cle < L. pedunculus, diminutive of pes, pedis, foot. 
5 In-flor-es’-cence < L. in, in; florescere, begin to blossom, 
