582 



BOTANY. 



Deltoid, a trowel-shaped or three-sided leaf, resem- 

 bling the Greek letter delta, fig. u. 



Subulate, awl-shaped leaf ; it tapers from the base 

 to the point, and is so called whether it be flattened. 

 or hollow ; if the latter, it is said to be tubular, fig. v. 



Acerose, all leaves which bear a resemblance to 

 those of the yew or fir-tree, are said to be acerose. 

 They are linear, awl-shaped, rigid, and evergreen, and 

 either sitting singly and regularly along the branches, 

 or placed in bundles of several together, fig. t. 



Pectinate, is a sort of pinnate leaf, only the pinnae 

 are so narrow that they resemble the teeth of a 

 comb, fig. w. 



' flabelliform, is a fan-shaped leaf, that is the disk 

 is split into spokes or radii. The term is mostly 

 used in describing the fronds or leaves of palms. 

 One is represented at fig. x. 



Spatulate, a form of leaf resembling the instrument 

 used by apothecaries for spreading salve ; that is a 

 flat knife, very broad and rounded at the point, fig. y, 



Cuneiform, or, wedge-shaped ; this is very much 

 like what is called deltoid. 



Carinate, keel-shaped ; said of leaves whose centre 

 of the back is prominent like the keel of a ship. 



Lunated, are such leaves as resemble a crescent or 

 new moon. In some plants the horns point toward 

 the stem, in others from it. In either case, they are 

 said to be lunated. 



Stellated, is a star-like leaf, or rather leaves placed 

 in star-like order. This term is however seldom 

 used ; verticillate is the term applied to such leaves 

 as stand round the stem like rays pointing every 

 way, as those of the cleavers and woodroffe, fig. 1 . 



Cucullatc, leaves are called cucullate, if they take 

 the shape of a cowl or hood reversed ; that is, wide 

 at top and narrowing to a point at bottom. 



Truncated, is spoken of a leaf which appears as if 

 its apex were cut off, as those of the common saddle- 

 lea ed tulip tree, fig. 2. 



Retuse, leaves are said to be retuse when they 

 terminate bluntly, or have a slight sinuosity instead 

 of an acute point, as fig. 3. 



Unequal, is when the two sides of a leaf do not 

 correspond in size, as may be observed in those of 

 the elm. 



Besides the foregoing, there are several other 

 forms of simple leaves introduced into specific de- 

 scriptions of plants, such as bifid, trifid, fjuadiifid, that 

 is two, three, four-cleft, and so on. There are also 

 orbicular, round, and cylindrical leaves, with modifica- 

 tions of these into subrotund, roundish ; rhomboid, 

 diamond-shaped ; linear, all of the same breadth ; 

 integrum, entire, or undivided ; lobed, parted, laciniatcd 

 or torn, &c. 



Hitherto the general outline or form only of the 

 leaves have been noticed ; we have next to advert to 

 the terms used by botanists in describing the margins of 

 leaves, and which are applicable to all leaves whether 

 simple or compound. 



Integerrimum, most entire ; this term is only used 

 in allusion to the margin, not to the leaf itself. A 

 leaf may have many sinuosities, as the passion-flower 

 for instance, and yet have an entire margin like a hem 

 all round ; and it is in this sense that the term only 

 integerrimum is used. 



Repand, bowed or bent back, in consequence of the 

 margin being confined by internal segments of circles 

 preventing the horizontal expansion of the leaf, fig. 1 . 



Sinuated. Leaves having deep rounded indenta- 

 tions like those of the oak, fig. 2. 



Undulated. A leaf receives that character when its 

 margin is waved up and down vertically like those of 

 the holly, but without prickles, fig. 3. 



Crispum. That is having the margin curled or 

 contorted like some varieties of cabbage, fig. 4. 



Plaited, "folded like a fan, the plaits being acute." 

 This beautiful conformation is exemplified in the 

 common meadow plant, called ladies' mantle, fig. 5. 



Erocd. That is when the margin is so irregular 

 that it appears as if gnawed by an insect. 



Cartilaginous. This is spoken of some leaves whose 

 margin is composed of a harder substance than the 

 rest of the leaf. 



Glandular. That is when the edge of the leaf is 

 studded with little glands or processes. 



Dcniatcd. When the margin is cut into teeth, or 



