28 BRITISH WILD FLOWERS 



their leaves alone, and all can be arranged under 

 two headings. Those with parallel veins are 

 monocotyledons (Group ix), those whose veins 

 are netted are dicotyledons. A very few leaves 

 are round, as in pennywort ; others are heart- 

 or spear-shaped, oval, oblong, or palmate. We 

 must observe whether they are opposite to each 

 other or alternate, whether they are in whorls 

 or scattered, simple or compound, entire or cut 

 into segments, with plain edges or notched. 

 Thus the umbels (Group vi) almost all have 

 much-divided leaves ; in the labiates (Group iv) 

 they are opposite, frequently on a square stem, 

 and the lip-shaped flowers have four stamens. 

 Sometimes the leaves are modified and form 

 bracts or stipules, and the presence or absence 

 of these is of great importance. A few plants 

 seem to have no leaves. The coltsfoot and 

 saffron (86) bear flowers and leaves at different 

 seasons. In the butcher's broom (85) the leaves 

 are replaced by phyllodes, which carry the 

 flowers. 



6. Stems and Outgrowths 



The stems may be smooth or rough, and the 

 roughness may be due to stings, as in the nettle, 

 hairs of different kinds, hooks, prickles, thorns, 

 tendrils and other outgrowths. These all have 

 their uses, chiefly to protect the plants from 

 their foes, or to enable them to secure a suitable 



