26 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



Edds. (L. gemma.) 



Most plants have a periodic season of activity and 

 another of repose. In temperate climates it is ruled by 

 the alternating seasons of heat and cold ; in tropical 

 countries by the wet and dry seasons. The change from 

 activity to repose called hihernating (wintering) is 

 marked by the ripening of the seeds, fall of the leaves, 

 and formation of buds containing the genns of the future 

 leaves, flowers, and axis of extension of the plant, which 

 by the agency of heat and moisture at the proper season 

 burst into active growth. Buds are formed of thin 

 brown (in the ash, black) scales folded over each other ; 

 they are very conspicuous in the horse-chestnut, ash, 

 plane, oak, maple, &c. A bud terminates the branches 

 of all trees and shrubs, being also often produced in the 

 axis of the leaves. When a tree is deprived of its leaves 

 and buds by lopping or otherwise, it has by the vital 

 action of its fluids the power of produciug buds from 

 below the bark, through which they are protruded ; these 

 are called adventitious huds. The buds of many trees, 

 when separated with a small portion of the bark attached, 

 are capable under favourable circumstances of be- 

 coming a plant ; and by the process of what is called 

 budding they may also be transferred from one plant 

 to another, as commonly practised with rose trees. 



Palms, aloes, and many other succulent plants have 

 no true buds, but in many, such as tiger and other lilies, 

 also agaves and ferns, buds called viviparous are pro- 

 duced on the flower stems, which under favourable cir- 

 cumstances become plants. 



