2 MEDICINAL HKTU5>S AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



Removing the stamens, a small globular head will be 

 left behind. Tliis is tl\e pistil, which in this case is not 

 a single body, but is made up of an aggregation of 

 similar structures. Each of these is called a carpel. We 

 therefore speak of the pistil of the Buttercup being com- 

 posed of numerous carpels. 



The characters of the Buttercup may therefore be 

 tabulated as follows: — 



1. Calyx. Five green sepals, 



2. Corolla. Five y eWow iJetaU. 



3. Numerous stamens. 



4. Pistil. Numerous carpels. 



It will be further observed that the different parts of 

 the flower are not in any w^ay united either with them- 

 selves or y{\i\\ ^ny other parts of the flower, e.g. each 

 petal js free not only from the other petals but also from 

 the sepals and stamens on either side of it 



We may take the Foxglove for our next example. 

 The structure of this flower is quite diff'erent, there being 

 considerable union among its component parts. 



J^?camining as we did the Buttercup, we find the flower 

 to be made up as follows: — 



1. Calyx. Five united green sepals, 



2. Corolla. Five united purplish petals. 



3. Stamens. Four in number, attached to the petals. 



4. Pistil. Two completely united carpels. 



It becomes necessary at this point to explain in greater 

 detail the difference between tUe pistil and the carpel. 

 This can best be done by comi^aring the pistils of the 

 two flowers which we have already described. In tlie 

 Ciise of the Buttercup (see figs. 1 and 2) each one of 

 the little structures (fig. 2) Ayhich compose the central 

 part of the flower is called a carpeL There are about 



