UPPER {SUPERTERRANEAN) STEM. 



79 



the year, sometimes in a few weeks : Indian Corn, Morning- 

 Glory ; 



Biennials, that sprout and 

 grow the first year ; bloom, 

 bear fruit, and die the second 

 year : Radish, Canterbury 

 Bell; 



Perennial herbs, with roots 

 that live many years, but 

 stems that die annually : 

 Butterwort, Catchfly. 



158. Shrubs and Trees are 

 perennial throughout. Their 

 stems are hard and ligneous 

 (woody). 



A Shrub has no stout trunk, 

 and is from 4 inches to many feet 

 in height: Heath (Fig. 72), Crow- 

 herry (Fig. 99), Eose, Lilac, Vine 

 (Fig". 101). A Tree has a trunk, 

 and is from 10 to 400 feet high. 

 The Peach, Almond, Crepe-Myr- 

 tle are small trees, 10 to 30 feet 

 high. The Oak, Sycamore, Plane, 

 (Fig. 98), and Magnolia are large, 

 60 to 120 feet high. The California 

 Pines (Fig. 97) and the Eucalyp- 

 tus of Australia are gigantic, 150 

 to 300 feet high ; the Eucalyptus sometimes 400 feet'. 



159. Tlie following descriptive terms are used : 



Arboreous, proper trees ; Arborescent, large shrubs, small trees ; 

 Frutesceni, ordinary shrubs ; Herbaceous, plants that die entirely or 

 down to the ground each year; Suffrutescent, perennials slightly 

 woody at base, herbaceous above. Suffruticose, perennials quite woody 

 at base, herbaceous above. 



160. Climate often makes changes in these conditions. The Castor- 

 Oil Plant is a perennial tree in the tropics ; in Tennessee it is tree-like, 

 but suffruticose ; in the Northern States it is an aunual. 



161. Age is usually proportioned to the size and quality 

 of the stem. Bushes and Shrubs live from 5 to 15 years. 

 The Peach lives 12 to 15 years in perfection ; the Apple, 

 30; the Chestnut, 600; the Oak, 1500; the Olive and 

 Baobab, 2000 ; the Pines, 3000 ; the Grass-tree (Fig. 96) 

 and Dragon's Blood (both Endogens) live 4000 years. The 



" The Three Graces, 



(SegwJia gigantea). 

 ., 300 feet high. 



