THE PURPOSE OF A PLANT 3 



purpose of 'every plant is to make its seed. The means by 

 which it does this we need to study. 



When root and stem and leaf are all doing their work 

 together so successfully that the plant has more strength than 

 it needs for mere living, or growing, 1 it prepares to make 

 a flower. Somewliere on its stalk (and some plants, like the 

 lettuce or the foxglove, will make a stalk if they haven't one 

 already) it makes a flower-bud. This presently, on its own 



SECTION 

 or FLOWER 



FIG. 2. THE PARTS OF A FLOWER. 



They are all shown together in 4, where they combine for the making of the 

 seed, shown at the bottom of the pistil. 



little stalk, makes a blossom. And the blossom has four im- 

 portant sets of parts. 



Outside of all, seldom to be used again when once the 

 bud has opened, is a set of usually green sepals called the 

 calyx. It protects the bud. 



Inside the calyx is a set of colored petals called the corolla. 

 When once they open out, they are the most noticeable part 

 of the flower, make it different from every other kind, and 

 serve to attract bees. It is the corolla that we usually 

 admire in a flower. 



Nature, however, does her work through the two remaining 

 sets of parts. First are the stamens. There are usually 

 three or four, and often many, to a blossom. They are made 



1 This is the natural course. When a plant is injured, it often flowers. 



