BOTANY OF LA SALLE COUNTY. 29 



placed; otherwise it is unsymmetrical or asymetrical. 

 The rose poppy and apple are symmetrical. 



Flowers are regular when all of the same parts are 

 of the same form and size, if not they are irregular as 

 the bean, pea, balsam, &c. 



Flowers are also said to be fertile or barren. A 

 fertile flower is one that produces fruit; as only flowers 

 having pistils can produce fruit fertile flowers are also 

 pistilate flowers and the barren flowers are those hav- 

 ing stamens only. 



Flowers may last but a part of a day, a day or sev- 

 eral days. Those lasting but a short time are said to 

 be evanescent or ephemeral. 



The calyx and corolla sometimes fall away, some- 

 times remain, the corolla withering up, but the calyx 

 remaining green and vigorous. Where it falls off early 

 it is said to be caducous. 



Trees, the leaves of which fall every autumn are 

 said to be deciduous, those retaining their leaves, ever- 

 green. Most of the evergreens of cold and temperate 

 climates are conebearing or coniferous trees, but in 

 warm regions most of the plants are evergreen. 



Classification of Plants. While this book is 

 not intended to take the place of treatise on Botany, 

 it seems proper that we should say a few words on the 

 classification of plants. If you study the subject you 

 will find that there is not that perfect agreement 

 among those, who are considered authorities on the 

 subject that would spring from the certainty that they 

 are right, besides you will learn that there is more 

 than one classification, that these differ greatly, and 

 that the views of those who have given most time and 

 caee to these studies are far from being in accord on 

 many points. We shall therefore confine our notes on 

 this part of the subject to making clear the meaning of 



