140 



PARTICULAR FORMS OF FLOWERS 



united in the center by the base of the style -tube, which 

 forms a cone-shaped body that separates from the torus 

 when the fruit is ripe. Do all of the ovaries develop, or 

 are some crowded out in the struggle for existence ? The 

 calyx is often reinforced by bracts, which look like an 

 extra calyx. These bracts form an involucre. An in- 

 volucre is a circle or whorl of bracts standing just below 



a flower or a flower - 

 cluster. The umbel of 

 wild carrot (Fig. 180) 

 has an involucre below 

 it. A large family of 

 plants, known as the 

 Malvacea3 or Mallow 

 family, has flowers simi- 

 lar to those of the holly- 

 hock. To this family 

 belong marsh mallow, 

 althea, okra, cotton. Ob- 

 serve that even though 

 the hollyhock is a great 

 tall-growing showy plant 

 and the "cheeses" is a 

 weak trailing inconspic- 

 uous plant, they belong 

 to the same family, as 



225. A lady Vslipper, to illustrate the sh Wn ^ the Structure 



orchid family. o f the flowers. 



279. ORCHID FLOWERS. The flowers of orchids vary 

 wonderfully in shape, size, and color. Most of them are 

 specially adapted to insect pollination. The distinguish- 

 ing feature of the orchid flower, however, is the union of 

 stamens and pistil in one body, known as the column. In 

 Fig. 225 the stemless lady's- slipper is shown. The flower 

 is 3-merous. One of the petals is developed into a great 



