266 



FLASHLIGHTS ON NATURE 



foliage, but if frost happens to check the growth of 

 the budding branches in the full-grown bush, or if 

 fire singes them, the shrub at once puts forth a 



short sprout of trefoil 

 leaves at the injured 

 point, as though revert- 

 ing in its trouble to 

 its infantile nature. 



In No. 3 we see the 

 third stage in the up- 

 ward evolution of the 

 baby gorse. Here, 

 the seedling begins to 

 outgrow its childish 

 trefoil stage, and to 

 prepare itself for the 

 repellent prickliness 

 of its armed manhood. 

 You will observe in 

 this case that the 

 outer and lower leaves 

 have still three leaflets 

 apiece, but that the 

 upper and inner ones 

 that is to say, the 

 youngest and latest 

 produced have the 

 form of single long 



blades, like those of the broom bush. As yet, 

 these solitary leaves are also unarmed : they do 

 not end in sharp points like the later foliage, and 

 they cannot pierce or wound the tender noses of 



NO. 3. THE PLANT OUTGROWING 

 ITS TREFOIL STAGE. 



