136 



The Flower 



This leaf often differs in shape from the ordinary leaves, 

 and is called a bract. Sometimes it falls off early so 

 that you will not find it, and sometimes, as you will see 

 later on, it does not grow where you expect it to, but its 

 natural position is always the same as in the case of 



Fig. 66. Barberry flowers. 



a leaf branch. The flowering part of a plant is known 

 as the inflorescence and takes many forms, varying 

 from cases as simple as the tulip in which each stalk 

 sent up from the bulb ends in a single flower, to those 

 like the horse-chestnut or elder which branch several 

 times. 



