FEBRUARY. 15 
The corolla is the whorl of coloured leaves, and next to 
the calyx, in the interior ; when divided into parts they are 
called petals. These give the beauty to the blossom, and 
their office is supposed to be that of concentrating the heat 
from the sun upon the seeds which are forming within. 
White is the most proper for reflecting the heat; and it is 
chiefly bestowed on flowers which blow in cold seasons, as 
in the Snowdrop, Lily of the Valley, Anemone, &c. Dark 
rich colours are more common in warm seasons. There are 
no flowers entirely black, for in that case, their petals desti- 
tute of reflexion, would be useless. The coloured petals 
also attract insects, and these by their motions assist in 
conveying the pollen from the stamens to the pistil. 
A stamen is one of the parts which stands next the corolla 
in the inside, usually of a yellow colour, and easily distin- 
guished from the pistil, which stands erect in the centre, 
and is generally green. It is formed of two parts: the fi/a- 
ment, or narrow thread-like portion, which unites it to the 
flower (for it is either attached to the calyx, corolla, or seed 
vessel) ; and the azther, or upper part, which is formed like 
a little box, and contains a powder called the pollen, which, 
when ripe, is shed on the pistil. The gistiZ occupies the 
* centre of the flower, and is composed of one or several 
