VIII. THE STEM. 



139 



becoming the expression of a growing and hereditary race ; 

 and the branched tree, the natural type, among all nations, 

 of multiplied families. Hence the entire fitness of the 

 word for our present purposes ; as signifying, " a spiral 

 shoot extending itself by branches." But since, unless it 

 is spiral, it is not a stem, and unless it has branches, it is 

 not a stem, we shall etill want another word for the sus- 

 taining < sceptre ' of a foxglove, or cowslip. Before de- 

 termining that, however, w r e must see what need there 

 may be of one familiar to our ears until lately, although 

 now, I, understand, falling into disuse. 



15. By our definition, a stem is a spirally bent, essen- 

 tially living and growing, shoot of vegetation. But the 

 branch of a tree, in which many such sterns have their 

 origin, is not, except in a very subtle and partial w r ay, 

 spiral ; nor, except in the shoots that spring from it, pro- 

 gressive forwards; it only receives increase of thickness 

 at its sides. Much more, what used to be called the trunk 

 of a tree, in which many branches are united, has ceased 

 to be, except in mere tendency and temper, spiral ; and 

 has so far ceased from growing as to be often in a state of 

 decay in its interior, while the external layers are still in 

 serviceable strength. 



16. If, however, a trunk were only to be defined as an 

 arrested stem, or a cluster of arrested stems, we might 

 perhaps refuse, in scientific use, the popular word. But 

 such a definition does not touch the main idea. Branches 

 usually begin to assert themselves at a height above the 



