LEAVES 15 
Pinnate and Palmate  Veining. 
There are two subdivisions of net-like 
venation: (1) pinnate venation, (2) palmate 
venation. A blade with pinnate (feather-like) 
venation has a number of ribs or veins 
starting from the mid-rib at different levels 
and running to the margin. These are 
arranged something like the pinnae of a 
feather, hence the name pinnate (fig. 15). 
A palmately veined leaf has several large 
veins which radiate from the lower part of 
the blade towards its margin (fig. 10). 
Texture. This may be tough or leathery, 
easily torn, thin, thick and juicy, dry, 
opaque or more or less transparent. 
Notre.—A great deal of useful work could be 
done under the heading of leaves in the Infant 
Department. Pupils will first of all learn to 
recognise and name the parts of a leaf, e.g., the 
leaf-stalk, blade, surface, margin or edge, mid- 
Fig. 16.—Grass rib, veins, etc. Rough slate drawings will help 
blade showing 5 : : 
parallel vena. 0 impress this part of the work, which should 
tion. be continued until the pupils are able to recognise 
and name with readiness from actual specimens 
the parts of a leaf. A child, for instance, on being handed a 
specimen should be able without hesitation to stand up, point to, 
and name the different parts—‘ this is the stalk, this is the blade, 
here is the mid-rib, and here the margin” etc, ete. Each child 
should also be able to describe the position of each part—e.g., 
““This is the mid-rib, running through the centre of the blade.” 
“The margin I am touching is the edge of the blade.” ‘‘ This 
is the blade, it grows at the top of the leaf-stalk,” ete., ete. 
Having mastered these preliminary details, and noted the 
difference in colour between the upper and lower surfaces, the 
various parts might be still further studied, the length of the leat- 
stalk, the shape of blade, the incisions in the margin, the surface 
and the venation. All this must be very simply treated at first, 
though pupils in the upper divisions of the Infant Department 
