90 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



while green is the usual color for sepals, in some plants 

 they are able to become as brightl_v colored as the petals. 

 Examples ma^- be seen in the lily, crocus, cactus and Caro- 

 lina allspice. In fact the principal difference between pet- 

 als and sepals, aside from color, seems to be that when 

 both are present in the same flower, the sepals are always 

 in the outer whorl and are if anything a trifle coarser in 

 texture. 



The first use of the sepals is doubtless that of protec- 

 tion. Usually in the young flower-bud thej' completelj^ 

 enfold the other organs. The magnolia, the bloodroot, 

 the poppy and many other flowers seem to find this the 

 only use for their sepals and as the flowers open the^^ are 

 cast off. 



In the buttercup family^a family famous for its many 

 deviations from the conventional — there are numerous spe- 

 cies that do not bear petals. There is often, however, a 

 whorl of colored floral organs which botanists believe to be 

 sepals. The rule is that when only one whorl of petal-like 

 organsis present, the members of it are sepals. One may 

 find such a state of affairs existing in manj^ species of clem- 

 atis, the hepatica, the anemone and the marsh marigold. 

 In the meadow-rue there are no petals though the flowers 

 have colored sepals in the bud which drop off at blooming- 

 time, leaving stamens and pistils entirely unprotected. 

 When petals are not present the sepals are not always 

 colored, as many examples from the pink famih^ show. 



It is extremely rare that the petals continue to live on 

 after the flower has been pollinated. We are all familiar 

 wath the evanescent nature of these organs for when the 

 petals fall we say the flower has faded and commonl}' 

 think no more about it. From the plant's point of view% 

 however, the flower maybe said to have just started upon 

 a successful career for now it will ripen its seeds. The pis- 

 tils increase in size to become the fruit, and though petals 

 and stamens fall, the sepals not infrequently continue to 

 live. Examine the "blossom-end" of an apple, pear, 

 quince, huckleberry or rose hip and you will there find the 



