THE GROWTH OF THE SHOOT FROM THE BUD 41 



on the outside and the inner leaves. Such a series serves to 

 indicate the nature of the bud scales. They are leaf bases, i.e. 

 the bases of leaves which develop no upper parts or blades, but 

 become hard and scaly as the buds form. 



Sycamore. The bud scales of the sycamore are tough and 

 dark coloured, where exposed to the air and light ; the inner 

 portions are paler. As a rule, the bud of the Sycamore has 

 fourteen scales, arranged in two opposite rows of four each, and 

 two intermediate rows of three each, but sometimes there are 

 only twelve scales. Within the scales are two pairs of folded 

 foliage-leaves. The structure of the bud-scales is best seen in 

 spring when the bud is expanding and the scales are falling. 

 They are long and narrow, and concave on the inner side so as 

 to wrap round the bud. If the tip of each scale is examined 

 with a lens, a small three- or five-lobed structure is seen, pro- 

 tected, almost hidden by a mass of brown hairs. This is a 

 rudimentary leaf-blade ; the scale itself is there- 

 fore a leaf-base which has become greatly en- 

 larged. Those Sycamore buds which contain 

 flowers as well as foliage-leaves are larger and 

 open earlier than the ones which have only 

 foliage-leaves. 



Oak. The scales of the Oak are arranged 

 in five rows, which are tightly folded over each 

 other. They are arranged in pairs, as would 

 be expected, because they are developed from 

 stipules, which occur in pairs. There are some- 

 times as many as twenty pairs, each pair vary- 

 ing in shape and size. The lowest scales are 

 small, the innermost are the largest. The 

 edges are fringed with hairs, which drain away 

 the moisture. 



Beech. The bud of the Beech resembles 

 that of the Oak in having a large number of 

 scales formed from stipules, some sixteen pairs altogether. The 

 lowest pair is triangular, small, and pointed ; the next four or 

 five pairs gradually increase in size and closely overlap each 

 other. The part of each scale exposed to the weather is brown, 



FIG. 25. Twig of 

 Beech in winter. 



