838 



THE NATURE BOOK 



so that it easily brings its leaves into the 

 lighter position. 



It is not only as a climbing species 

 that the Bramble is remarkable ; in 

 another way the plant offers a curious 

 instance of resourcefulness. Every way- 

 side patch is adorned with its Black- 

 berry bushes, and one of the reasons for 

 tliis plenitude of Brambles is to be 

 found in a strange habit wliich the plant 

 possesses. When, as is so often the case, 

 the Bramble is growing over a pile of 

 stones or rambhng up a rough rock wall. 

 it is seen that the plant takes root all 

 over the place. If the lusty shoots which 

 are sent out in such profusion come into 

 contact with a httle vegetable mould that 

 may have collected between the chinks of 

 two stones, or even rest for any length of 

 time upon the ground, the points quickly 

 lose their original character. All the fea- 

 tures of a growing shoot vanish, and the 

 point, becoming clubbed, eventually sends 

 out roots. Thus a fresh hold has been 

 secured by the aggressive Bramble. 



The budding propensities of certain 

 plants are very interesting in the part 

 which they play in helping the species 

 to spread over the surface of the ground. 

 An Indian evergreen shrub belonging to 

 the House-leek family produces leaves 

 which at every notch in the border 

 bear an embryo bud. The species, which 

 is named Bryophyllum calycinion, can 

 hterally produce a score or more of 

 baby plants from any of its leaves. If 

 a leaf is thrown down on the soil the 

 buds quickly develop into perfect httle 

 specimens. A North American fern is 

 perhaps even more curious. This is a 

 species of Hart's Tongue {Scolopendriitm), 

 and has been called the Jumping Fern, 

 on account of its strange habit. As a 

 rule, the buds of this species are pro- 

 duced at the tip of its lance-shaped 

 fronds. These fronds, being very long 

 and slender, trail over until their tips 

 touch the ground, when, if the soil be 

 in a moist condition, roots quickly form 

 on the under surface at the point of 



MANY SPECIES HAVE A HABIT OF " STARRING" OUT, 



SURROUNDING GROWTH. 



AND IN THIS WAY DISCOURAGE 



