Tin: VIOLET TRIHK. C)d 



know, with loaves cut, as you suppose, into several 

 deep divisions ; here, however, you are mistaken. 

 The true leaf is a narrow ohlong blade, with netted 

 veins, rather notched at its edge, and tapering gra- 

 dually into a stalk (Jig. A. a.) ; it is not slashed 

 or divided at all. But on each side of the leaf, 

 quite at the bottom of its stalk, there is a deeply- 

 cut stalkless part, which is of the same colour as 

 the leaf, but shorter (Jig. A. b. h.) ; this is a sti- 

 pule (see page 37), and it is that which gives the 

 lobed and lacerated appearance to the leaf. Here 

 you have an exemplification of the care with which 

 you ought to look at plants if you would understand 

 their construction rightly ; it may be true indeed, as 

 theoretical Botanists say, that stipules are only little 

 leaves, but it does not follow that on that account we 

 may call them leaves ; for it is quite clear that what- 

 ever their theoretical similarity may be, they are 

 stationed by nature in a particular place, in a particu- 

 lar form, for some good purpose or other. You will 

 some day know that the sepals of the calyx, and the 

 petals of the corolla, and the stamens, and the carpels, 

 are all leaves in different states ; but you must not 

 on that account cease to distinguish them carefully, 

 and call them by their right names, when you find 

 them fixed by nature in the form of sepals, petals, 

 stamens and carpels. Our own foot is a sort of 

 hand, and our toes are fingers ; but we cannot on 

 that account dispense in practice with the use of the 

 words feet and toes. 



The flowers consist of five sepals of a narrow 



F 



