244 CONSERVATIVE ORGANS. [LECT. VI. 



but the necessities of men seldom permit trees to 

 arrive at their utmost growth ; and,, to quote the 

 words of an elegant writer, " Nature preserves her 

 " magnificence in those places only, where man 

 " cannot assert his empire." 



Although almost * all stems rise out of the 

 ground, yet, no minute inspection is required to 

 perceive that they do not all assume the same 

 direction. Some stand erect, elevating their 

 foliage in the air; others approach to the perpen- 

 dicular only; some, too lax even to support their 

 own weight, raise themselves by twining around 

 those which are more rigid, or climb by the aid of 

 various appendages ; while others again lie pro- 

 strate, or creep along upon the surface of the 

 earth. Each of these peculiarities has been no- 

 ticed by Botanists, and named. A stem is said to 

 be, 



1. ERECT (erectus, verticalis, perpendicu- 

 laris), when its position forms nearly a right 

 angle with the surface of the soil from which 

 it rises, provided that surface be almost parallel 

 to the horizon. There are four varieties of the 



* I use the word almost, because many plants that appear 

 to be stemless, have a cylindrical caudex rising from the real 

 root, which is very deep in the ground, to the surface of the 

 earth, where it gives offa tuft of leaves and flowers; as in com- 

 mon Mousetail, Myosurus minimus. This portion does not 

 perform the office of a root, and, therefore, it may be con- 

 sidered as participating of the nature of a stem. 



