. Botany for beginners: an introduction to Mrs. Lincoln's Lectures on botany. Plants. Oil. APPENDAGES TO PLANTS. 61 found upon the leaf or the calyx, and in some instances upon the berry : as in the Gooseberry. Fig. 243. Thorns, seem to be a kind of short pointed stem, easily distinguished from prickles, as they grow from the woody part of the plant, while the prickle proceeds only from the bark. On stripping the bark from a rose-bush, the prickles will come away with it, but let the same experiment be made with a thorn bush, and although the bark may be separated, the thorn will stil
. Botany for beginners: an introduction to Mrs. Lincoln's Lectures on botany. Plants. Oil. APPENDAGES TO PLANTS. 61 found upon the leaf or the calyx, and in some instances upon the berry : as in the Gooseberry. Fig. 243. Thorns, seem to be a kind of short pointed stem, easily distinguished from prickles, as they grow from the woody part of the plant, while the prickle proceeds only from the bark. On stripping the bark from a rose-bush, the prickles will come away with it, but let the same experiment be made with a thorn bush, and although the bark may be separated, the thorn will still re- main projecting from the wood. 244. In this drawing (Fig. 39) you will observe the thorn (a) to remain on the stem, while the bark (5) has been peeled off. In the prickle (c) the whole appears separated from the plant Thorns in some plants have been known to disappear by culti- vation. The great Linnaeus imagined that the trees were di- vested of their natural ferocity and became tame. A more ra- tional opinion is given by another botanist, viz.: that thorns are in reality buds, which a more favourable situation converts mto luxuriant branches. But in some cases they do not disappear even under circumstances favourable to vegetation. Thorns have been compared to the horns of animals. 245. Glands are roundish, minute appendages, sometimes called tumours or swellings; they contain a liquid secretion, which is supposed to give to many plants their fragrance.— They are sometimes attached to the base Of the leaf, sometimes they occur in the substance of leaves ; as in the Lemon and Myrtle, causing them to appear dotted when held to the light. They are found on the petioles of many plants, and between the teeth or notches of many others. 246. Stings are hair-like substances, causing pain by an acrid liquor, which is discharged upon tneir being compressed; they are hollow, slender, and pointed, as in the Nettle. 247. Scales are substances in some respects resembling the 243. W
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectplants, bookyear1849
