80 



WAYSIDE WEEDS. 



rising from amid their root-leaves, and tlie umbel, 

 the spike, or the capitulum, and any other forms of 

 inflorescence may occur in connection with other 

 peduncles than scapes j and, on the other hand, 

 sohtary blossoms do not necessarily claim scapes for 

 their supports. 



Look at Fig. 53, which represents a sprig of the 

 common scarlet pimpernel, a common enough weed, 



Fl&. SS,*— Sprig of common Currant. Blossoms in a pendent raceme. 



though we have not yet placed it in your hand j the 

 flowers spring all the way up the stem, but each is 

 solitary on its own peduncle, and starts from the 

 junction of the stem with a leaf, or, as it is called, 

 from the axilla of the leaf, the blossoms being 

 described as solitary and axillary. But these leaves, 

 from the axils of which the flowers spring, might 

 be greatly diminished in size, niight be dwindled 



