March, 
1909 
from the sim- 
ple types of 
the y loaw eur 
orders, up to the most elabo- 
rate forms in the highly 
specialized groups. The varia- 
tion in size is no less a matter 
for astonishment. ‘The tiniest 
leaves of all are so little that 
it is not easy to think of any- 
thing smaller; while ranging 
upward from these there is a 
scale composed of individuals 
ever increasing in_ bigness, 
leading us on to huge speci- 
mens which are the marvels of 
the vegetable kingdom. And 
yet the purpose of foliage all 
the world over is the same, in 
a general sense—to carry out 
the respiration of the plant. 
It may not be uninteresting to 
speculate upon the diversity in 
the forms of the larger leaves, 
and to inquire as to the benefits 
which the plants derive from 
the special designs in a few of 
the most striking instances. 
There is no getting away 
from the fact that the plant 
with very large leaves is at a distinct disadvantage, and it is 
not quite easy to see by what process certain species have 
become possessed of these kuge organs. 
thought that the all- 
powerful natural se- 
lection would have 
tended to modify 
the size of foliage, 
had not the facts, as 
far as some plants 
are concerned at any 
rate, shown other- 
wise. Plants with 
large leaves are al- 
most world wide in 
distribution if we 
except the Arctic 
regions, and those 
desolate wastes of 
scorching sand 
which will support 
little vegetation at 
all unless it be of a 
succulent habit. 
In the first place 
the plant with big 
leaves has one im- 
portant difficulty to 
HERE are few things which impress the 
RAN k=—IY student of plant life more than the amazing 
diversity exhibited in the designs of leaves. 
The foliage of vegetation varies in shape, 
Giant Leaves 
By S. Leonard Bastin 
organs. 
By Warnes « riage 
The modern cabbage leaf as developed by cultivation 
One would have 
The Gunnera is a giant pie plant, with long stems and ample leaves 
AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 103 
contend against—it can not produce very many of these 
Thus if any part of the foliage is damaged the 
plant is likely to suffer pretty badly, for in some instances 
injury to one leaf might actually involve a sixth of the whole 
tree. Again, although some 
of the examples under con- 
sideration grow very rapidly, 
in the majority of cases it may 
be said that it takes relatively 
a long time to develop a new 
leaf if it has to be a very big 
one; and while this replacing 
is going on the plant will be 
suffering the loss of an im- 
portant part of its being. But 
perhaps a still greater draw- 
back to the big leaf, from the 
point of view of the economy 
of the plant, is the risk which 
it will run from wind damage. 
This is really a very serious 
matter indeed, and, as will be 
pointed out later, one which 
some very ingenious contriy- 
ances have been called forth 
to deal with. Lastly, the 
evaporation of moisture, al- 
ways an important question in 
the plant world, will be much 
greater from a broad expanse 
than from a much restricted 
area.. In this connection it is 
also instructive to observe that 
most of the species with large 
leaves find their natural home where water is abundant; 
some of them being even semi-aquatic in habit, and one of 
the most amazing plants being wholly so. 
One is continually 
brought face to face 
with the fact that 
there must be some 
law of compensa- 
tion. An animal or 
a plant is lacking in 
one particular direc- 
tion, but to make up 
for this more often 
than not it is fav- 
ored in some other 
Wada One Can 
hardly find a better 
instance of this than 
m the banana 
(Musa), a_ species 
of which has leaves 
ten or twelve feet in 
length. These great 
organs are nothing 
like so tough as one 
would think they 
should be in con- 
sideration of their 
