LESSON 13.] PERFECT AND IMPERFECT FLOWERS. 



89 



as many as there are petals, the Flax has only five stamens, or 

 just as many as the petals. Such flowers as these are said to be 



Perfect, because they are 

 provided with both kinds of 

 essential organs (230), namely, 

 stamens and pistils ; 



Complete, because they have 

 all the sorts of organs which 

 any flower has, namely, both 

 calyx and corolla, as well as 

 stamens and pistils ; 



Regular, because all the parts 

 of each set are alike in shape and size ; and 



Symmetrical, because they have an equal number of parts of each 

 sort, or in each set or circle of 

 organs. That is, there are five 

 sepals, five petals, five stamens, 

 or in the Stonecrop ten stamens 

 (namely, two sets of five each), 

 and five pistils. 



240. On the other hand, 

 many flowers do not present 

 this perfect symmetry and reg- 

 ularity, or this completeness of parts. Accord- 

 ingly, we may have 



241. Imperfect, or Separated Flowers ; which are 



those where the stamens and pistils are in separate 

 blossoms ; that is, one sort of flowers has stamens 

 and no pistils, and another has pistils and no sta- 

 mens, or only imperfect ones. The blossom which 

 has stamens but no pistils is called a staminate or 

 sterile flower (Fig. 176) ; and the corresponding 

 one with pistils but no stamens is called a pistil- 

 late or fertile flower (Fig. 177). The two sorts 

 may grow on distinct plants, from different roots, 

 as they do in the Willow and Poplar, the Hemp, and the Moonseed 



FIG. 174. Flowers of the common Flax: a perfect, complete, regular, and symmetrical 

 blossom, all its parts in fives. 175. Half of a Flax-flower divided lengthwise, and enlarged. 



FIG. 17fi. Staminate flower of Moonsecd (Menispermum Canadense). 177. Pistillate 

 flower of the same. 



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176 



