XIL] BOTANY. 49 



carpels of which a pistil is formed, when these are 

 combined, may often be assumed from the number 

 of cells of the ovary, or of styles or of stigmas. 



(e) The floral receptacle is the tip of the flower- 

 stalk which bears the floral organs. The disk is a 

 thickening of the receptacle between the pistil and 

 corolla or calyx ; it is often swollen (rue, lime), and 

 secretes honey ; or it is represented by scales or small 

 prominences. The stamens may be inserted around 

 it, or on it, or between it and the ovary. 



83. If a flower contains all four floral whorls (Par. 

 81), it is called complete ; if fewer, incomplete. 

 The calyx and corolla together form the perianth ; 

 also when the calyx is undistinguishable from the 

 corolla, or when either of these is absent, the outer 

 floral whorl takes the name of perianth. 



Of the floral whorls, the calyx is seldom absent, the 

 corolla less seldom. The stamens and pistil cannot 

 both be absent, but one may be : in this case the 

 missing whorl will be found in correspondingly in- 

 complete flowers borne on the same or some other 

 individual plant. Very few flowers have fewer than 

 two sepals or two petals, but many have either no 

 stamens or no pistil ; and a flower may consist of 

 a single stamen or a single pistil. 



An irregular flower is one in which one or more 

 of the parts of the calyx or corolla is larger than 

 another (pea, snap-dragon). A regular flower is one 

 in which this is not the case, but the members of each 

 whorl are equal and similar. 



A symmetrical flower is a regular one whose 

 sepals, petals, and stamens are equal in number 

 or multiples of one another. 



