202 PLANT IDENTIFICATION, 



the base of the leafstalk) or not ; whether leaves, simple 

 or compound ; entire ; edged or toothed ; lobed ; stalked ; 

 or sessile (without stalk) ; etc. Form of stem cylindrical 

 or quadrangular; existence of bulbs, tubers, corms, etc., 

 smooth or hairy ; whether subterranean, etc. Eoot of tap 

 variety ; or branching (adventitious), etc. 



2. The descriptions should also have in view functional 

 or adaptive characteristics. For example, it should be 

 borne in mind that all the foregoing plants flower early in 

 the year. Consequently students should try to understand 

 the various reasons for this. Some of them may be viewed 

 as plants of hardy constitution growing with a limited 

 supply of heat. Shepherd's Purse, Chickweed, Daisy, 

 Groundsel are hardy in this sense. 



It ought to be noted also how many of the foregoing plants 

 grow in shady situations, e.g. Wood Anemone, Butterbur, 

 Greater Stitchwort, Dog Yiolet, Wood Sorrel, Primrose. 

 These may be said to be hardy as regards small amount of 

 light. But it must be borne in mind that the shade is less 

 in spring than later in the year. Others again flower 

 early in wet situations, e.g. Marsh Marigold, Lesser Celan- 

 dine, Water Avens, Golden Saxifrage. 



It must also be borne in mind that some of the fore- 

 going as well as others in the list are supplied with reserve 

 stores of food from the previous year, e.g. Coltsfoot and 

 Butterbur, whose leaves grow big and develop great 

 activity, making reserves after the flowering period is 

 over. Wood Anemone has reserves in an underground 

 stem, Lesser Celandine in root tubers, Water Avens 

 in underground stem, Crocus in corm, Snowdrop in 

 bulb, etc. 



Not many in our list arise from seeds ; most are peren- 

 nials arising from rhizome, corm, tuber (underground 

 stems), or bulb. These notes have reference simply to the 

 spring flowering habit, but in plant studies generally other 

 functions to be borne in mind are relations of nectaries, 

 colour and odour to insect visits ; structural adaptations 

 for insect visit or for seed dispersal ; protective arrange- 

 ments in vegetative organs spines, prickles ; adaptations 



