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Updated: June 7, 2025
What are the dots on the leaf-scars? Why is there no distinct band of rings as in Beech? How old is your branch? Where do you look for flower-cluster scars? Which buds are the strongest? How does this affect the appearance of the tree? What makes the ends of the branches so rough? Compare the arrangement of the twigs and branches with Beech and Elm, with Horsechestnut and Lilac.
The scars on the stem are of three kinds, leaf, bud-scale, and flower-cluster scars. The pupils should notice that the buds are always just above the large triangular scars. If they are still in doubt as to the cause of these marks, show them some house-plant with well-developed buds in the axils of the leaves, and ask them to compare the position of these buds with their branches.
If the pupils have not understood the cause of the flower-cluster scars, show them their position in shoots where they are plainly on the summit of the stem, and tell them to compare this with the arrangement of a large bud. The flower-cluster terminates the axis in the bud, and this scar terminates a branch.
The larger terminal buds have a flower-cluster in the centre, and generally two pairs of leaves; the small buds contain leaves alone, two or three pairs of them. The leaves are densely covered with white wool, to protect them from the sudden changes of winter. The use of the gum is to ward off moisture. The flower-cluster is woolly also. Other specimens may differ in some points.
The leaves grow smaller and the flower-clusters larger till we come to the centre, where the axis is terminated by a flower-cluster. There is a great difference in the buds on different bushes and on shoots of the same bush, some being large, green, and easy to examine, others small, hard, and dark-colored. It is better, of course, to select as soft and large buds as possible for examination.
If the teacher finds his scholars wearying, however, he can leave as many of the details as he pleases to be treated in connection with other branches. How many scales are there in the buds you have examined? How are they arranged? How many leaves are there in the buds? How are they arranged? Where does the flower-cluster come in the bud? Do all the buds contain flower-clusters?
The middle bud, which is smaller and develops later, is a leaf-bud. The others are flower-buds. The leaf-scars are small, with three dots on each scar. The rings are very plain. The flower-cluster leaves a round scar in the leaf-axil, as in Cherry. The leaves are opposite and the tree branches freely.
How do the flower-buds differ from the leaf-buds in position and appearance? What is the arrangement of the leaves? What other tree that you have studied has this arrangement? How old is your branch? Where would you look to see if the flower-cluster had left any mark? Why is it that several twigs grow near each other, and that then comes a space without any branches?
Tiny leaves come forth, neatly rolled inward, growing as they expand, the stalks lengthening. Resurrection is astir in the tree. Several leaves issue from every bud. From some buds arise only leaves; from others a flower-cluster emerges from the leaf-rosette, showing faint color even before it expands.
The pupils can measure the distance between each set of rings on the main stem, to see on what years it grew best. The Flower-Cluster Scars.
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