618 NATURE STUDY. 



"It is a hollow slender stem. She (Mother Nature ?) makes it hol- 

 low so that she will not waste any material. They (the leaves) are 

 arranged alternate. It branches -in the middle. The base of the leaves 

 is like the half of a hollow cylinder. It (the leaf stem) is wrapped 

 around the stem so that it will not hurt the other stem that is com- 

 ing out. 



" The buttercup has two kinds of leaves. One kind comes from 

 the base of the stem. They look as if they come from the root and 

 so we call them root leaves. The other kind comes from the stem and 

 so we call them stem leaves. 



" The root leaves are arranged around the base of the main stem. 

 On our buttercup the steins of the leaves were one foot long. The 

 base of the stem is shaped like a half a hollow cylinder. It is shaped 

 like this so that it will fit around the stem and so that it will make a 

 little bed to keep the little new stem warm. 



" The general shape of the leaves is round. Our leaves have from 

 three to six parts. Our buttercup leaf is simple because the divisions 

 do not go quite down to the top of the stem. The general shape of 

 one (division) is like a kite only it is divided so that it looks like a tree 

 with branches." WILLIE ALLEN, THIRD GRADE. 



THE BUTTERCUP CCOMPLETED). 



4 ' The blossoms are up on the top of the plant so the bees can see 

 them and they will come and get honey. 



" It is shaped like a ball (in the bud ? C. B. S.) and it has li" 1 

 hairs on the outside. The calyx is the green part. It has five parts. 

 Each part's name is the sepal. They are shaped like spoons. ~The 

 corolla is the yellow part. It has five parts. It (each part, C. B. S.) 

 is shaped like a wedge. The name of the part is the petal. It pro- 

 tects the soldiers (stamens, C. B. S.). 



"The soldiers (stamens, C. B. S.) are in the middle and there are 

 forty five on my buttercup. They have some yellow dust on their 

 head because they guard the plant so that the seeds can grow better. 

 The seed boxes are under the soldiers. ' ' 



WILLIE ALLEN, THIRD GRADE. 



UNIVERSITY 



CALIFO* 



