FLOWER-LEA VES. 



[chap. 



cannot fail to be at hand. Let us suppose that you have 

 gathered a flower of the Common Pea. The other plants 

 with pea-flowers differ from it but slightly so far as the 

 pistil is concerned. 



The calyx, you observe, is deeply five-toothed, indicating 

 that it is composed of five sepals, as in the orange. As the 

 sepals are united below, the calyx is gamosepalous. The 

 corolla consists of five petals, the uppermost of which is 

 much larger than the rest ; so that the corolla is said to be 

 irregular. The same term is applied to any corolla or calyx 

 the parts of which are unequal in size or form. 



Fro. 7. Section of Flower of 

 Garden Pea. 



Fig. 8. Diadelphous 

 Stamens of same. 



Remove the petals carefully, especially the two lower 

 ones, which are united below by their edges into a boat- 

 shaped sheath called the keel. The keel encloses the sta- 

 mens, which in the Pea are, excepting one, united by their 

 filaments into a sheath, which is split open along the upper 

 side. The single separate stamen is on the upper side of 



