

CHAPTER XXX 



THE DEFENCE OF LEAVES AND STEMS POISONS SPINES AND PRICKLES 



- BRISTLES AND STINGING HAIRS - - MEANS OF DEFENCE 



OF ROOTS HOW PLANTS HEAL THEIR WOUNDS TREES IN 



SUMMER 



THE DEFENCE OF LEAVES AND STEMS 



THE keen struggle for existence which is going on daily and 

 hourly in nature has brought about an almost infinite number of 

 ways by which plants protect themselves against their enemies. 

 Putting aside the tropics, where plants may be almost said to have 

 passions, so keenly do they fight among themselves and against 

 their animal foes, it is quite easy to find in almost any hedgerow 

 instances of plants protecting themselves by special means. We 

 would advise the nature student to collect and tabulate for himself 

 as many kinds of these weapons as he can find. Plants also have 

 to defend their stems and leaves against the attacks of grazing 

 quadrupeds, and their roots from burrowing mammals and other 

 depredators. 



There can be no doubt that since the time when life first appeared 

 on this earth, the vegetable and animal world have been more or 

 less at war with one another, since all animal life must ultimately 

 depend on vegetable, while plants are practically independent of 

 animals, except in so far as they rely on them to ensure cross- 



