ORGANS OF GEOWTH. 



33 



is manifest by their bearing true leaves on their margin, 

 which is very common in young plants, and in some 

 cultivated species they continue to be produced for a 

 number of years. In some plants branches are flattened 

 and perform the functions of leaves, as in the species of 

 Xylophylla (wood-leaf), small trees, natives of the West 

 Indies, having appendages like leaves, but which bearing 

 flowers and true leaves on their margin (the latter rarely 

 seen), must therefore be considered as branches, though 

 possessing the character of true leaves in not increasing 

 in size as branches. 



In many plants, immediately below the attachment of 

 the leaves a little leaf-like appendage is to be seen, which 

 is called the stipule. In some it is large and leaf-like, 

 as in many of the Pea family, in others very small and 

 scale-like ; its presence or absence forms an important 

 character in determining the affinities of plants. 



The plants called ferns have no true leaves, their leaf- 

 like expansions being called fronds, and their footstalk 

 stipes, which are explained under their families. 



The above is a brief explanation of the principal 

 forms and nature of leaves, but it must be understood 

 that there are many special forms that can only be pro- 

 perly described individually, such as the Indian, Ameri- 

 can, and Australian pitcher-plants, Yenus's fly-trap, lat- 

 tice-leaf, &c., which will be noticed under their respec- 

 tive families. 



II. ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION. 



Flowers. {L.flos, G. anthos.) 



The principle of vegetable life is to produce flowers 

 which contain organs for reproducing their kind, and in 

 the majority of plants are developed annually from special 



D 



