CHAPTER LIX 



THE BLOSSOM 



YES, they had listened very attentively the day 

 before when Uncle Paul told them all about 

 poisonous plants. Who would not listen to a talk 

 on flowers? Jules and Claire, however, would have 

 been glad to hear more. How are the flowers made 

 that their uncle showed them yesterday? What is 

 to be seen inside them? Of what use are they to 

 the plant? Under the big elder-tree in the garden 

 their uncle talked to them as follows : 



"Let us begin with the blossoms of the digitalis, 

 which I spoke of yesterday. Here is one. It has, 

 as you see, almost the form of a glove-finger, or 

 better, of a long pointed cap. Emile could put one 

 on to his little finger ; there would be plenty of room. 

 It is purplish-red in color. Inside, it has spots of 

 dark red encircled with white. The red glove-finger 

 rises from the center of a circle of five little leaves. 

 These little leaves are also part of the flower. To- 

 gether they form what is called the calyx. The rest, 

 the red part, is called the corolla. Remember these 

 words, which are new to you. ' ' 



"The corolla is the colored part of the flower; the 

 calyx is the circle of little leaves at the base of the 

 corolla," repeated Jules. 



"Most flowers have two envelopes like these, one 



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