viz.] THE LEAVES, 7' 



are reduced to sharp spines, from the axils of which 

 spring subsessile tufts of ordinary foliage-leaves, borne 

 (as in Pine, Larch and Cedar) upon branches with un- 

 developed internodes. Leaves tufted in this way are said 

 to be fasciculate. In Whin or Furze, both the leaves (ex- 

 cepting those of the very young plant) and the branches 

 are spinose. Stipules also are sometimes replaced by 

 spines. When the blade of the leaf is absent, the petiole 

 sometimes becomes flattened to such an extent as to look 



FIG. 49. Branch of Acacia melanoxylott. The lower leaves with pinnate 

 lamina ; the upper reduced to petioles (phyllodes). 



like an entire leaf, in order to replace the blade as an 

 organ useful to the plant. But the flattening is generally 

 vertical, so that the apparent leaf is placed edgewise upon 

 the stem, instead of spreading horizontally. By this 

 character these leaf-life petioles may be generally recog- 

 nised. They are called phyllodes. Sometimes the true 

 blade is partially developed at the extremity of the phyl- 

 lode, thus putting its petiolar character beyond doubt. 



