ELEMENTS OF STRUCTURAL BOTANY. 



quite SO long as the lower ones, and the highest leaves 



have no petioles at all. They appear to he sitting on 



the stem, and hence are said to be sessile. The lowest 



^nNa ^^ leaves oi all, as they seem to spring from 



^ \'SiJ-;'^Z-7 *^® ^■°o*'' ^^^y be described as radical, 



^ \\ U^ whilst the higher ones may be called 



catd.'ne (caitlis, a stem). The broad part 



of a leaf is its hlade. In the plant we 



are now examining, the blades of the 



leaves are almost divided into distinct 



pieces, which are called lubes, and each of 



these again is more or less deeply cut. 



Both petioles and blades of our leaves are 



covered with minute hairs, and so are said 



to be hairi/. 



Fig. 1. 



Hold up one of the leaves to the light, and you will 

 observe that the veins run through it in all directions, 

 forming a sort of net-work. The leaves are therefore 

 fiet-vriiieil. 



The points along the stem from which the leaves 

 arise are called nudes, and the portions of stem between 

 the nodes are called internodes. 



5. Let us next examine the Flowers. Each flower in 

 our plant is at the end either of the stem or of a branch 

 of the stem. The upper portions of the stem and its 

 branches, upon which the flowers are raised, are called 

 the peduncles of the flowers. 



Take now a flower which has just opened. 



Beginning at the outside, you will find five 



little spreading leaves, somewhat yellowish 



in colour. Each of these is called a sepal, 



. 5 and the five together form the calyx of the 



