Deciduous Trees

Deciduous Trees (Lat. de, and eado, 'falling off') are those which annually lose and renew their leaves. In cold and temperate countries the fall of the leaf in autumn, and the restoration of verdure to the woods in spring, are among the most familiar phenomena of nature, connecting themselves also very intimately with the feelings, habits, and circumstances of mankind. The greater part of the trees and shrubs of temperate regions are deciduous; but within the tropics the forest retains always its luxuriance of foliage, except in countries where the dry season is extremely marked. There many trees lose their leaves in the dry season, and exhibit the same partial suspension of vegetative life. Trees not deciduous are called Evergreen (q.v.). The means of disarticulation of deciduous leaves is described under LEAF.