lo8 Plants and their Ways in South Africa 



Polypetalous, corresponding to polysepalous, is applied 

 to petals when they are distinct from each other. In Roella 

 and Tecoma the corolla is made from a single piece ; they are 

 gamopetalous. The lower part of the corolla is the tube, 

 and the upper spreading part the limb. The upper boundary 

 of the tube is the throat. 



Flowers, especially gamopetalous corollas, often have very 

 curious shapes. We liken them to butterflies, spiders, bells, 

 trumpets, lips, kalkoentjes, patrijsjes, kappies ; but since Latin 

 names have been longest in books, we still use them. The 



most important thing is to 

 know the flowers and to find 

 out, if possible, how they 

 ^^^ \ came by their different forms. 



When the parts of the corolla 

 and calyx are all the same 

 shape, the flowers are regular. 



Fig. ii6. — Disperis capensis (Mother 

 cappies or Hottentot bonnets). 



Fig. 117. — Valvate sestivation of Acacia 

 horrida. (From Edmonds and Mar- 

 loth's " Elementary Botany for South 

 Africa.") 



When they are two-lipped, like Lobelia, or butterfly-shaped, 

 like the pea, they are irregular. Bright-coloured flowers are 

 often irregular. 



Flowers built on the plan of three often have sepals and 

 petals of similar shape and colour. By this time you have 

 observed that certain flowers have three sepals, three petals, 

 and that the stamens and carpels are also three or some 

 multiple of three, while others are built on the plan of five. 

 Four is less commonly the number found. 



-Estivation. — Like the leaf buds, flower buds have their 



