266 



FAMILIAR BOTANY. 



is broken or bursts, as it always does of 

 itself, as soon as it is ripe, a coloured 

 powder is seen, which the learner may call 

 the tip-dust ; but botanists call it the fol- 



leu. 



8. When the calyx, the corolla, and the 

 stamens are all cut away, the centre part 

 of the flower alone will remain on the top 

 of the stem. This part the learner may 

 call the female; but botanists call it the 



pistil. 



■ 9. The female, or pistil, consists of a 

 base, the middle, and a top. The base of 

 the pistil, (^g,) is always more or less 

 bulged out ; it always contains the seeds, 

 and the learner may call it the seed-vessel ; 

 but botanists call it the onary. 



10. The middle part, (A,) of the pistil 

 may be called the pillar ; but botanists call 

 it the style. 



11. The top of the pistil the learner may 

 call the summit, (i ;) but botanists call it 

 the stigma. 



12. There is only one more term to be 

 mentioned, at present, applied to a peculiar 

 sort of leaf, — sometimes according to the 

 kind of plant found on the flower-stem, 

 often at the base of the leaves, and seen 

 conspicuously in pinks, carnations and pi- 

 cotees. It frequently surrounds fruits, as 

 the calyx does the corolla. This, which 

 botanists call the sub-calyx, and other names 

 according to its situation, we shall, for con- 

 venience, call the scale. 



Now these dozen terms, — 1. Calyx — 2. 

 Corolla— 3. Petal— 4. Stamen— 5. Fila- 

 ment — 6. Anther — 7. Pollen — 8. Pistil — 

 9. Ovary— 10. Style— 11. Stigma— 12. 

 Scale, — are all which the learner need get 

 perfectly, to begin with. A few other 

 terms, but not more than half a dozen, may 

 be wanted as we proceed. 



The order in which these parts are met 

 with in dissecting a flower, is best illus- 



trated by placing five 

 circles, one within the 

 other. Thus, on the 

 02iter circle place the 

 scale, whether it be 

 leaf scale, flower scale, 

 or fruit scale. 



On the second circle place the flower-cup 

 or calyx, whether it be in one piece or seve- 

 ral pieces. 



On the third circle place the blossom, or 

 corolla, whether it consists of one petal or 

 several. 



On the fourth circle place the males, or 

 stamens, whatever be their number, with 

 their stalks or filaments, and their tips or 

 anthers, containing the tip-dust ox pollen. 



On the inner circle place the female part, 

 or pistil, with the seed-organ, or ovary, at 

 the base, the pillar, or style, in the middle, 

 and the summit, or stigma, on the top. 

 Always begin the examination with the 

 outer circle. 



It will sometimes happen, that all the 

 parts belonging to the five circles will not 

 be found ; but after a little experience, it 

 will be easy to distinguish whether it be 

 the calyx, or corolla, or any other part, 

 which is wanting to complete all the cir- 

 cles. 



The twelve terms having been perfectly 

 understood, as well as the order in which 

 the parts of the flower are placed on the 

 five circles, the learner may now be in- 

 structed how to find the class in which any 

 flower is ranked by Linnfeus. These classes 

 with their orders, are founded, among other 

 facts, upon the different numbers and situa- 

 tions of the male and female organs in the 

 flowers of plants. And here we have a 

 wonderful instance of the economy of na- 

 ture in assimilating plants to animals. At 

 the very moment that the anthers of the male 

 organs burst, and emit their pollen, the fe- 



