VIII. THE STEM. 145 



some time of its existence, the flower-stalk lets fall 

 something of what is sustained, petal or seed. 



In late Latin it is called ' petiolus,' the little foot ; 

 because the expanding piece that holds the grape, 

 or olive, is a little like an animal's foot. Modern 

 botanists have misapplied the word to the leaf- 

 stalk, which has no resemblance to a foot at all. 

 We must keep the word to its proper meaning, 

 and, when we want to write Latin, call it ' petiolus ; ' 

 when we want to write English, call it 'stalk,' 

 meaning always fruit or flower stalk. 



I cannot find when the word ' stalk ' first 

 appears in English : — its derivation will be given 

 presently. 



5. Gather next a hawthorn leaf. That also has a 

 stalk ; but you can't shake the leaf off it. It, and 

 the leaf, are essentially one ; for the sustaining 

 fibre runs up into every ripple or jag of the 

 leaf's edge : and its section is different from that 

 of the flower-stalk ; it is no more round, but 

 has an upper and under surface, quite different 

 from each other. It will be better, however, to 

 take a larger leaf to examine this structure 

 in. Cabbage, cauliflower, or rhubarb, would any 

 of them be good, but don't grow wild in the 

 luxuriance I want. So, if you please, we will 

 take a leaf of burdock, (Arctium Lappa,) the 



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