THE FLOWER 



257 



In some plants the calyx-leaves are dropped when the hud 

 opens (Poppy), in other plants the corolla is shed similarly 

 (Giiava). '^'he corolla may, however, he so constructed that it 

 still affords the inner organs a good protection against the 

 weather: In Adhatoda the stamens are covered under the upper 

 lip of the corolla as under a shed; when the wind is strong, the 

 blossoms of the Pea and other papilionaceous flowers turn their 

 back to the wind, so that the inner parts are screened by the 

 standard (see page 37); the long flower-tube of Sesamum is 

 hanging and thus keeps the inner parts safe; the Water-lily 

 closes up its petals during the rain, or at night, and opens them 

 only to the sunshine. 



The petals generally fade and fall after a short time, the 

 sepals, however, are often persistent and remain on the fruit. 



7. The Stamens. — (a) Parts. — The stamens consist of a 

 stalk or filament, which supports two small bags, the anther-bags^ 

 containing a fine powder, the pollen. The anther is annexed to 

 the filament by a small ligament, the connective^ a tissue connecting 

 the two anther-lobes. 



(6) Number, Adhesion and Cohesion. — The stamens vary in 

 number from one in Canna, two in Jasmine, three in Wheat, four 

 in Ixora, five in Thorn-apple, six in Paddy, and so on, up to a 

 a hundred and more in Cereus. 



As to their place of origin, they may rise directly from the 

 receptacle (Anona, Guava), or from the tubular corolla (Ixora), 

 or may be adnate to the pistil 

 (Aristolochia). 



With regard to their cohe- 

 sion, they may be free from 

 each other (Ptose), or cohere 

 into one bundle (Malvaceae), or 

 they may be in two bundles, 

 as in the Papilionacese, where 

 ordinarily nine filaments are 

 combined (the anthers being 

 free) and one stamen is entirely free : or they may be in several 

 parcels as in Citron. In the composite^ the filaments of the 



17 



Fig-. 239. — Flower of Pea: Bundle 



of the 9 combined stamens (only 



4 of the 9 are visible). 



