THE STEM AND THE LEAF 73 
on vertical and on horizontal branches, that they lie flatways 
to the sun and do not overshadow each other. The way in 
which these results are secured in the case of opposite leaves 
is well shown in figures 39, 52, and 53. 
71. Rosette plants. Some plants, such as the dandelion and 
the plantains, have their leaves spread out in the form of a 
Fic. 56. Poison ivy, a root climber 
Reduced 
rosette at the top of an extremely short stem, which people 
usually suppose to be the crown of the root. Rosette-formers 
and some other kinds of plants (figs. 54 and 55) are therefore 
often incorrectly said to be stemless. During the first year 
of growth from the seed a good many biennials, like the com- 
mon evening primrose (fig. 55), beets, carrots, and parsnips, 
form a more or less perfect rosette crowning a stout, fleshy 
root. The second year they produce a tall, leafy stem, then 
blossom and bear seeds. In rosette plants the leaf is usually 
