THE VEC;ETATIVE organs compared 333 



annual; while if there are signs (such as a swollen root or 

 leaf-rosette) implying only a past year's growth with no 

 provision beyond, the plant would be called a biennial, i. e., 

 one completing its life in two years. 



Fig. 287, I. — Columbine (Aquilcgia vulgaris, Crowfoot Family, Ranun- 

 culacecv). Flowering top. Flower, entire and cut vertically. Pistil 

 surrounded by rudimentary stamens. (Baillon.) — Perennial herb 

 45-60 cm. tali; leaves finely hairy; flowers purple, violet, white, etc.; 

 fruit dry. Eurasia. Common in gardens. 



Nearly all the members of this family are perennial herbs. 

 A few, such as the mouse-tail, are annuals; and there are some 

 more or less woody forms, as for example, certain species of 

 Clematis which are woody and climbing. None of the family 

 are trees. ^ 



1 The following signs are often used for brevity in botanical descrip- 

 tions: © for an annual, @ for a biennial, and % for a perennial herb; 

 ^ for a vine whether trailing, chmbing, or twining; b for a woody plant; 

 i for a small shrub, 3 for a large one; _5 for a shrubby tree and_5 for 

 one of considerable size. To these we may add O to mean herbaceous 

 as a counterpart to the sign for woody. 



