26 THE PISTIL. 



and the Christmas-rose. With flowers, as with all her other gifts^ 

 Nature, if she closes one hand in denial, straightway opens the other 

 in munificence. It is known to be the calyx by analogy, and also 

 from the well-ascertained fact, that there is no such thing as a bril- 

 liant corolla destitute of protecting calyx. In other words, the outer- 

 most pai't of the flower, whatever its colour and texture, is invariably 

 calyx, under some condition or other. In the Lily-family and its allies 

 the calyx is almost always on a par with the corolla, both in develop- 

 ment and lustre. Here it is known to be calyx by the position of the 

 sepals, which parts, as a rule, stand in an outer ring, and alternately 

 with the petals, covering their edges like a curtain behind half-opened 

 folding-doors. It is very unusual to find the petals exactly in front 

 of the sepals, though we have a ready example of it in the berbery. 

 In the Thimbergia and a few others the corolla is brilliant, but the 

 calyx reduced to a mere ring, its protective office being here subserved 

 by special organs called " bracts." A useful name for calyx and 

 corolla, taken together, is " perianth." When both are present, it is 

 common to say, "perianth double;" and when calyx alone is present, 

 as often happens, " perianth single." In texture, it should be added, 

 the calyx, with the exceptions named above, is usually leaf-like, 

 whereas the petals are usually juicy, and with a surface resembling 

 satin. 



In the very centre of the flower stands the " pistil," generally of a 

 green tint, and consisting of three parts, in relative form and position 

 a pretty image of the three portions of a Corinthian column. (Fig. 56.) 

 The lowest part resembles the pedestal, and is called the " ovary " or 

 " germen ; " the summit, resembling the capital, is called the 

 " stigma;" and the intermediate stalk, resembling the shaft, is called 

 the " style." In the ovary lie concealed the rurlimentary seeds, or 

 " ovules," as may plainly be seen in the blue-bell, the fruit being 

 this very part enlarged into a state of ripeness. Sometimes the 

 style is not developed, and then the stigma sits close upon the ovary; 

 (Fig. 58.) and sometimes the stigma is nothing more than a fine point. 

 There are many examples also of several styles to a single ovary, and of 

 several stigmas to a single style. Moreover, there are many flowers, 

 such as the buttercup, where the ovaries themselves are numerous, 

 every one of them having its own style and stigma. Ordinarily the 

 pistil is hidden by the petals, lying in the very heart of the flower, 

 modest and guarded from view. But there are examples where the style 

 is so much elongated as to bring the stigma forwards like a beautiful 



