50 THE BRANCHES. P ART 1. 



tions, as in the greater part of trees and shrubs ; 

 or they are fastigiate, that is of different lengths, 

 and inserted promiscuously at different heights, 

 but forming a flat tuft upon the top, as in Dian- 

 thus bar bat us. 



Position. In their position they are vertical, that is laying 

 close to the stem, as in the poplar ; or spreading, 

 that is forming an acute angle with the upper part 

 of the stem ; or divergent, that is expanding hori- 

 zontally or at right angles to the stem ; or straddling, 

 that is forming an obtuse angle with the upper part 

 of the stem ; or deflected, that is hanging down so 

 as to form an arch, as in the weeping ash ; or re- 

 flected, that is hanging down almost perpendicu- 

 larly, as in the weeping willow; or retroflected, that 

 is bent or twisted in various directions. 



Size. In their size they are proportioned to the dimen- 



sions of the trunk, expanding in trees of large 

 growth to a great distance from the centre, and 

 forming a sort of secondary trunk. The horizontal 

 branches of a full grown Calabash-tree are said to 

 be from forty to fifty feet in length, thus forming 

 a diameter of upwards of a hundred, and con- 

 sequently a circumference of upwards of three 

 hundred feet.* 



Faraill. des Plant. Pref. ccxii. 



