44-4- 



DISPOSITIONS OF LEAVES. 



CHAP. XIII. 



OF RAMIFICATION. 



RAMIFICATION is the manner in which a tree produces its 

 branches, with the situation of which that of the leaves is also 

 connected*. 



Some plants have no branches, though they have leaves which 

 are placed on the stem. This is the case with Dictamnus,... 

 PiEONiA, . . .Epimedium, . . .and Podophyllum. 



Leaves opposite or alternate are generally a mark of great dif- 

 ference in plants: a few genera, however, must be excepted, 

 which have some species with opposite leaves, and others with 

 alternate, as in Euphorbia,. ..Cistus,...Lantana,... Antirrhinum, 

 ...LiLiuM,...and Epilobium. 



In Antirrhinum,... Jasminum, ...Veronica,. ..and Borago,*.. 

 the lower leaves at the branches are opposite, and the upper ones 

 at the flowers alternate. 



In Potentilla Supina, and in Potamogiton, the lower leaves 

 are alternate, and the upper ones on the branches opposite. 



In Nerium the lower leaves are opposite, and the upper ones 

 ternate* 



In Ruscus the lower leaves are ternate and the upper ones al- 

 ternate. 



* The doctrines delivered here under the head of Ramification do not answer to 

 the title, the greater part respecting rather the situation of the leaves than that of 

 the branches : they might, with more propriety, have been collected under a head of 

 foliation ; but as the term foliation is used to express the habit of plants, in respect 

 to the position of leaves in the bud, before they disclose themselves, as will be 

 shown in Chap. XVI. these doctrines could not have stood under the same head, 

 without a confusion in the use of the term ; and this seems to be the reason why 

 JAnnceuSy whom we follow, has given them in this place. Author. 



