42 PBACTIGAL BOTANY. 



Culm : tlio straw of tlie sedges and tlie grasses, usually jointed, often 

 lioUow, and rarely becoming woody. 



(Plants are called caulescent, when they have branching stems. 

 Scape-bearing plants are said to be acaidescent, although they have 

 some sort of underground stem). 



Pakticulae Names of Stems and Beanches, chiefly 

 deeived feom theie dikection. 



84. Stems bear different names in view of their direc- 

 tion and their simplicity or complexity. They are : 



a. With regard to their di/rection and regular or ir- 

 regular growth. 



Erect : rising vertically from the ground ; ascending : 

 first bending, after having started from the ground, and 

 then rising vertically ; procumbent : prostrate or trailing, 

 growing along the ground without rooting ; decumhent : 

 reclining on the ground, after having at the base risen 

 somewliat above it; repent: creeping upon the ground 

 and I'ooting; cernuous : bent over; nutant: having the 

 top bent downward; geniculate: kneed, ascending by 

 forming angles; nodose or Tcnotty : furnished with hard, 

 intumescences here and there (stems of grasses) ; articu- 

 lated or jointed : provided with soft, intumescences, and, 

 therefore, fragile at the joints ; scandent or climbing : ris- 

 ing by laying hold, in some way, of other objects (as the 

 stem of the grape) ; voluble or twining : winding spirally 

 around a support (hop, bindweeds, etc.) ; radicant or root- 

 ing : climbing on other objects and striking root in them 

 (as the stem of ivy). 



b. With regard to the production of branches. 



Most simple or simple : without branches, or nearly so ; 

 ramose : branching ; furcate : forked ; dichotomous : re- 

 peatedly furcate ; trichotomous : divided into three 

 branches. 



