THE SYCAMORE. 367 
to which the seeds from neighbouring Trees have 
been wafted. 
The leaf of the Sycamore is, when in its freshest 
and most perfect form, very beautiful. Its matured 
stalk, sometimes developed to a great length, is 
reddish in colour, and this colour is often 
continued along the principal veins which run 
into the leaf. The colour of the leaf is deep green 
on its upper side whilst the under side is much 
lighter, having oftentimes a whitish, downy appear- 
ance. Its shape is what botanists call cordate 
which means similar to the ‘ heart’ in cards, from 
the Latin cordatus. It has been more popularly de- 
scribed as ‘fan-lobed,’ because the lobes—of which 
there are five, the three upper ones being large and 
the two lower and opposite ones being much smaller 
—are somewhat fan-shaped. Hach lobe is deeply 
but irregularly indented, the indentations dividing 
the leaf into lobes being very deep and acute. 
Through each lobe runs a principal vein, in an 
almost straight line. Starting from the apex of 
the leaf-stalk, these principal veins give origin, 
on each of their sides, to branch veins, which, 
making rather obtuse angles with the principal 
