284 BOTANY FOR BEGINNERS CHAP. 



plant description is very useful, because it keeps the attention 

 of the student fixed on the most essential points. (7) A blank 

 drawing book and pencils will enable the student to make 

 sketches of the different parts of the plant. 



How to Describe a Plant. --With a little practice a good 

 description of any ordinary plant should be made in about 

 three-quarters of an hour. Slovenliness should always be 

 avoided, and care must be taken to describe only those parts 

 which are present. To make certain that a good method of 

 work is ensured the following plan should be followed. 



A PLAN FOR DESCRIBING PLANTS 



(1) Habit. Whether annual, biennial, or perennial; herbs, shrubs, 

 or trees (p. 19) ; size and general appearance. 



(2) Boot. Kind (p. 53). Whether a tap-root ; size, shape, and 

 branching, and adventitious, if present. Special roots, such as aerial. 



(3) Stem. (a) Kinds, such as herbaceous, or shrubby, or woody. 



(b) Direction of growth erect, creeping, underground, &c. 



(c) Shape round, ribbed, square, &c. 



(d) Internal appearances solid or hollow. 



(e) Covering and colour hairy or smooth, green, or other colour. 



(4) Leaves. (a) Kind of leaves radical or cauline (p. 38). 



(b) Phyllotaxis (p. 36) alternate, opposite, whorled, or spiral 

 arrangement. 



(c ) Simple or compound (p. 38). 



(d) Composition of leaf perfect, petiolate, sessile. 



(e) Shape of leaf (p. 39). 



(/) Vernation of leaf (p. 34). 



(g) Colour and covering of leaf hairy or smooth, dark or light green. 



(h) Stipulate or exstipulate (p. 45). 



(5) Inflorescence. (a) Whether definite or indefinite (p. 166-172). 

 (b) Kind (p. 166-174). 



(6) Bracts. (a) Whether present or absent. 

 (b) Describe like foliage leaves. 



(7) Flower. (a) Whether complete or incomplete (p. 178). 



(b) Whether actinomorphic or zygomorphic (p. 179). 



(c) Shape. 



(d} Diameter, colour, perfume. 



(8) Calyx. (a) Whether polysepalous or gamosepalous (p. 183). 



(b) Number of sepals or lobes of calyx. 



(c) Whether inferior or superior (p. 183). 



(9) Corolla. (a) Whether polypetalous or gamopetalous. 



(b) Number of petals or lobes of corolla. 



(c) Whether superior, hypogynous, perigynous, or epigynous. 



(d) Shape of petals or lobes of corolla. 



