xiv INTRODUCTION 



or terminology acquired, however, without comparison between the terms em- 

 ployed and the parts they define in actual specimens if it is possible to obtain them. 

 When the mysteries of botanical terminology have been overcome, an attempt may 

 then be made to describe plants on an approved plan. 



For this purpose the knowledge already acquired as to the parts of a plant will 

 be of the greatest value. For a description must be framed upon a systematic plan, 

 and the different parts should be described in the order of their development. The 

 main heads should be: Habit, root, stem, leaves, inflorescence, bracts, flowers, 

 calyx, corolla, andrcecium, gynaecium, ovules, followed by a floral formula and 

 diagram. (See post.) 



The following is an example : 



Habit. Erect, perennial, herbaceous, rosette plant. 



Root. Fibrous. 



Stem. Aerial stem a scape, leafless. 



Leaves. Radical, in whorl, simple, inversely ovate to spoon-shaped, stalked, 

 fleshy, blunt, midrib broad, no stipules. 



Inflorescence. Indefinite, capitulum. 



Bracts. In 1-2 series, herbaceous, green, blunt, tipped with black, in an in- 

 volucre. 



Flower. Incomplete, perfect; actinomorphic, tubular in disk florets ; incomplete, 

 imperfect, zygomorphic; ligulate in ray florets. 



Calyx. None. 



Corolla. Tubular florets gamopetalous, 5-lobed, epigynous, yellow; ligulate 

 florets, gamopetalous, 3-lobed, epigynous, ligule white. 



Andrcecium. In disk florets only, syngenesious, 5, epipetalous, anther-cells 

 simple. 



GyruBcium. In ray and disk florets syncarpous, carpels 2, inferior, style 2-fid, 

 arms linear blunt in ray florets, in disk florets short, thick, tipped with papillose 

 cones, ovary i-celled. 



Fruit. An achene, flattened, inversely ovate, i-seeded. 



Floral formula. K( 5 - o), C( 5 ), A( 5 ), Gfe). 



Floral diagram. (Disk floret). 



Classification Order Composite 

 Name Bellis perennis (Common Daisy) 



Floral formulae are designed to show graphically or in abbreviated form the 

 structure of the flower. For this purpose capital initial letters indicate the part of 

 the flower, thus: K = calyx, C = corolla, A = andrcecium, G = gynaecium. 

 Numerals indicate the number of parts, and oo means indefinite. If there are 

 two whorls in any part the + sign is used. Union of parts is shown by ( ), and 

 adhesion of parts by [ ]. Superior parts are shown by a line _ below the figure, 

 and inferior by a line above (see formula above). 



A floral diagram represents the same structure more graphically still. A flower 



5 taken, and the parts are outlined as if seen in transverse section to show their 



number and relation to each other. The bract is shown in its relative position 



