POLYSEPALOUS CALYX.—-MONOSEPALOUS CALYX. 225 
plumosum each sepal is divided into five deep lobes or partitions ; 
and in Passiflora fetida the sepals are first pinnatisected, and 
then each segment pinnatifid. 
In their direction, the sepals are either erect or turned up- 
wards ; connivent or turned inwards; divergent or patulous, when 
spreading outwards; or reflexed, when their extremities are 
turned downwards. 
The sepals may be either distinct from each other, as in the 
Poppy, Buttercup, Wallflower, and Strawberry (jig. 456) ; or 
more or less united into one body (figs. 458-60), as in the 
Pimpernel (fig. 458), Campion (fig. 459), and Henbane (jig. 
461). In the former case, the calyx is usually termed polysepa- 
lous, polyphyllous, or dialysepalous ; in the latter it is commonly 
called monosepalous. But this latter term is incorrect, as it indi- 
cates literally one sepal ; and hence many botanists use instead 
the more correct term of gamosepalows calyx, which simply im- 
plies that the sepals are united. The terms polysepalous and 
monosepalous, however, from being in more general use, will be 
ordinarily employed in this volume. 
1. PoLysEpaLous, PoLyPHYLLOUS, OR DIALYSEPALOUS CALYX. 
A polysepalous calyx may consist of two or more parts, the 
number being indicated by the prefix of Greek numerals ; 
as disepalous for a calyx composed of two distinct sepals, tri- 
sepalous for one with three, tetrasepalous if it have four, penta- 
sepalous if five, hexasepalous if six, heptasepalous if seven, and 
So on. 
A polysepalous calyx is called regular if it consist of sepals 
of equal size and like figure or form, and arranged in a sym- 
metrical manner, as in the species of Ranunculus (fig. 432), 
and Strawberry ( fig. 456) ; and it is said to be irreqular when 
these conditions are not complied with, as in the Monkshood 
(fig. 457). 
2. MoNnosEPALOUS OR GAMOSEPALOUS CaLyx.—When the 
sepals are united so as to form a monosepalous calyx, various 
terms are used to indicate the different degrees of union. Thus, 
the union may only take place near the base, as in the Pimpernel 
(fig. 458), when the calyx is said to he partite ; or it may take 
place to about the middle, as in the Centaury (jig. 459), when 
it is cleft or fissured ; or the sepals may be united almost to the 
top, as in the Campion (fig. 460), when it is toothed ; or if the 
union is quite complete, it is entire. The number of partitions, 
fissures, or teeth, is indicated by the same prefixes as those 
previously referred to as being used in describing analogous 
divisions in the lamina of a leaf ; thus a monosepalous calyx 
where the divisions are five, would be described as /five-partite 
or quinquepartite, five-cleft or quinquefid, five-toothed or quinque- 
dentate, according to the depth of the divisions. In like man- 
ner the terms tripartite, trifid, or tridentate would indicate that 
such a calyx was three-partite, three-cleft, or three-toothed, and 
Q 
