FLOWERS, THEIR STRUCTURE AND KINDS 143 



and greenish. They fall away very easily and it is necessary to 

 examine young flowers to see them. The calyx serves the pur- 

 pose of protecting the other members of the flower in the bud. 



229. The corolla. Next inside of the calyx is the corolla. It 

 consists of five distinct, free members or parts, of bright yellow 

 color. Each one of these is a petal. The number of petals 

 sometimes varies, six sometimes being present. Each petal is 

 broadly obovate, wedge-shaped in outline, with a minute claw at 

 the base on the upper side. The function of the corolla, when 

 bright in color, is supposed to be that of attracting insects which 

 aid in pollination. It also serves to protect the inner members of 

 the flower in the bud. 



230. The stamens. Just inside of the corolla are a large 

 number of small flower members known as stamens. Each 

 stamen consists of two parts, the stalk or filament, and a broad 

 terminal portion, the anther. The anther is slightly lobed into 

 two parts. Each lobe is called an anther sac, or locule. It is a 

 little case, containing, when ripe, the pollen grains, very small, 

 free cells, which are produced in great numbers. In the butter- 

 cup these lobes open by splitting along the middle line on one 

 side, and permit the scattering of the pollen which to the eye 

 resembles a fine grained powder. The filament of the stamen is 

 attached along the inner face of the 



anther, and the latter in such a case 

 is said to be adnate. 



231. The pistils. The pistils are 

 the members which occupy the center 

 or summit of the flower. They are 

 numerous and distinct from each other. 



The pistil is recognized as consist- 

 ing of three parts, the ovary, the style Y oun g fruit^'bmLcup (R. acris) 

 and the stigma. The ovary is the 

 lower and larger part. It is ovate in showmg position \ ovule - 

 outline and compressed. The ovary is hollow, and by cutting off 

 one side, a small body is seen which is attached at the base. 

 This is the ovule in which the embryo plan? is formed after 



