42 



THE VEGETATIVE SHOOT 



appear straight and of indefinite growth, are often in reality 

 sympodia, the terminal bud upon each annual shoot having 

 been destroyed or terminated by a flower, and a false axis 



formed by the subsequent 

 vigorous growth of the 

 highest lateral bud. The 

 ' spurs ' or short shoots on 

 pear (Fig. 17), apple (4, 

 Fig. 19), and currant trees 

 and also many of the under- 

 ground shoots of grasses 

 are examples of sympodia. 



Ex. 23. — Examine the kind of 

 branching of the shoots of vari- 

 ous common plants, such as 

 groundsel, chickweed, nettle, 

 charlock, mustard, vetches, 

 beans, peas. Note the origin 

 of the branches above the leaves. 



II. Twigs of Trees in 

 Winter. — A study of the 

 appearance of the shoots 

 of trees in winter and their 

 subsequent development 

 during the following spring 

 and summer is instructive. 



On the sycamore branch 

 shown in Fig. 16, large 

 terminal buds are visible 

 and several lateral ones, 

 r,c.,6.-P;e«of^sy^can,oj^^^^^^^^^ which are Well- 



marked leaf-scars, as at 2, 

 indicating the place where the leaves were attached in the previ- 

 ous summer. In 1896 the part marked 1897 did not exist, but 



