30 TALKS AFIELD. 



green " leaves " beneath the colored ones, as 

 shown in the half-opened flowers in the clus- 

 ter. To distinguish these two distinct sets 

 of floral leaves, botanists designate the 

 showy ones petals and the green ones sepals. 

 Both together they constitute the floral en- 

 velope. The petals and sepals appear dis- 

 tinct enough from each other in the apple 

 flower, but we shall find flowers in which 

 they are very much alike. In the centre of 

 each blossom are delicate threads. A flower 

 cut in two lengthwise (as in Fig. 46, page 

 56) will disclose these inner organs. Of 

 these organs there are plainly two kinds. 

 Those on the outside bear yellow boxes on 

 their ends. These threads, with their boxes, 

 are the stamens ; the boxes are the anthers. 

 If the anther is enlarged, as in Fig. 

 35, it is seen to be composed of two 

 boxes lying parallel to each other, 

 each one opening by a slit on its outer 

 Fig. 35. g-^jg^ From this slit the pollen, a fine 

 yellow dust, is escaping. The inner organs 

 in Fig. 46 are totally unlike the stamens. 

 Of these organs there are apparently three, 

 all united below into one and to the little 

 apple which we have cut through at the 

 base. It is evident, then, that this miniature 



