ON LEAVES. 59 



Nature has probably given more firmness and stability to 

 the roots of plants, which are obliged immediately to pro- 

 vide their own food, in the same way as she has to the 

 beaks of young birds. The embryo plant has often 

 another resource, but which does not belong to our 

 present subject. 



The first regular leaves which expand are called pri- 

 mordial, and are not unfrequently of a different charac- 

 ter from the common leaves of the plant. 



When the leaves shoot very near the ground, so as to 

 appear to grow from the roots, they are called radical 

 leaves; they sprout, however, from the base of the stem, 

 for roots never give birth to leaves. 



Bractesa or floral leaves are, on the contrary, leaves 

 peculiar to some plants, which grow very near the flow- 

 er, and are often mistaken for blossom, not being always 

 of a green color. The Hydrangea, for instance, has a 

 great abundance of pink or lilac bracteae, which I doubt 

 not but that you have supposed to be the flower of that 

 plant. 



Caroline, Are then those beautiful blossoms of the 

 hydrangea not its flowers? 



Mrs. B. To a superficial observer they bear, it is 

 true, a much greater resemblance to flowers than to 

 leaves; but, if examined attentively, you will find they 

 possess few of the regular organs of the flower, and 

 could produce neither fruit nor seed.* 



Emily. Is there any other example of colored leaves 

 which are bractese instead of blossoms? 



Mrs. B. A great number. The lime-tree shoots. out a 

 profusion of bracteae of a pale yellow color; and I doubt 

 not but that you have confounded them with the blossom 

 which lies concealed beneath them. The colored leaves 



* When this leaf closely invests the flower and assumes the appearance 

 of the calyx, it is somewhat difficult to decide whether it be a bractese or 

 not. In such cases if it falls with the other parts of the flower; it is to 

 be regarded as a calyx, but if it remains, attached to the fruit till the 

 leaves begin to fade as in the common Fennel flower, it is considered to 

 be a bracteae 1 



309. How does Mrs. B. reply to if? 310. What are primordial 

 leaves'? 311. What are radical leaves'? 312. What are Brac- 

 teae or floral leaves'? 313. What is said of the Hydrangea 1 ? 314. 

 What is said in the note of bracteae'? 315. What is said of tho 

 bractese in the lime treel 316. And in the Red-topped Claryl 



