THE SHOOT 45 



those internal to them. Their number is not uniform, 

 nor is their method of folding, nor their arrangement, 

 but they all arch over the apex of the shoot. The 

 latter does not bear any protective cap, such as is seen 

 over the root. It is a delicate conical tip, which bears 

 its outgrowths in regular succession, the latter being 

 continually developed by the apex as it elongates, so 

 that the youngest are always nearest to the tip. 



These outgrowths are borne upon the axis at definite 

 points, which show a remarkable difference of behaviour 

 from the spaces between them, in that they do not 

 elongate during the processes of growth. All the growth 

 in length is carried out by these spaces. The points at 

 which the outgrowths are borne are called nodes, the 

 spaces between them internodes. 



The behaviour of these parts can be studied advan- 

 tageously on a shoot a little older than the plumule. 



It is well to select a tree of some few years' growth and 

 to examine some of the ultimate endings of its branches. 

 If from such a tree in the early spring we take a twig 

 we shall be able to observe that during the previous 

 summer its internodes elongated, causing the out- 

 growths to be separated from each other by some little 

 distance. The year's growth may have caused the shoot 

 to become perhaps three or four inches long. If we 

 examine the nodes closely we shall find that between 

 the original outgrowths and the axis certain small knob- 

 like bodies occur, almost hidden between the others. 

 These several parts can always be observed with greater 

 or less facility on all shoots. The axis is called the 

 stem, the first-formed outgrowths are the leaves, and the 

 little knob-like bodies between the two are known as 

 buds. The angle between the stem and its leaf in which 

 the bud arises is the axil of the leaf. The apex of the 

 stem will be seen in the spring to exhibit also the form 

 of a bud, rather larger than the lateral ones in the axils 



