

ox THE FORMS OF STIPULES .163 



organs, with the principal nerves radiating from the 

 base of the lamina and passing into the principal teeth. 

 Thus there are at least three distinct types of stipules. 



These differences are probably connected with the 

 differences in the shoots. These may be described as of 

 two kinds, namely, those which develop into more or 

 less lengthy, leafy shoots, which go to increase the height 

 and breadth of the tree, and those which form short 

 lateral spurs. The latter are very numerous, forming 

 dense rosettes of leaves, and produce clusters of flowers 

 in profusion in adult bushes and trees. Owing to the 

 crowded state of their leaves, the bases of their petioles 

 occupy the whole, or very nearly the whole, of the sur- 

 face of the short axis, thus leaving little or no space for 

 stipules. The lower or outer leaves are very small, and 

 entire, or tridentate, or trifid, with short petioles. Very 

 often these have no trace of stipules. The inner or 

 upper leaves of these rosettes are better developed, with 

 elongated petioles, so as to enable them to extend beyond 

 and occupy the space between the short ones. This is 

 obviously a provision to expose every leaf to light. The 

 stipules of these longer-stalked leaves vary from mere 

 points to subulate or linear, small, brown organs, which 

 being relatively functionless after the expansion of the 

 leaves, soon shrivel up and fall away. 



At or near the base of the elongated leafy shoots 

 fairly well-developed leaves occasionally occur, which have 

 no stipules : but as a rule the stipules in this position are 



m a 



