THE BLOSSOM 



285 



within the other. The exterior, or calyx, is nearly 

 always i^reen; the interior, or corolla, is embellished 

 with those magnifi- 

 cent tints that please 

 us in so many flow- 

 ers. 



44 In the mallow, 

 which you see here, 

 the calyx consists of 

 five little green 

 leaves, and the cor- 

 olla of five large 

 pieces of lilac rose 

 color. Each of these 

 pieces is called a 

 petal. The petals, Mallow 



all together, make the corolla." 



"The corolla of the digitalis has only one piece or 

 petal ; that of the mallow has five," remarked Claire. 



"It looks that way at first, but on examining 

 closely you will find that they both have five. I must 

 tell you that in a great many flowers the petals unite 

 as soon as they begin to form in the bud, and by 

 their union constitute a corolla which looks like only 

 one piece. But very often the united petals sep- 

 arate a little at the edge of the flower, and by inden- 

 tations more or less deep show how many are joined 

 together, 



Lonk at tliis tobacco blossom. The corolla forms 

 a tun-bellied funnel, apparently composed of only 

 one piece. But the edge of the flower is cut out in 

 live similar parts, which are the extremities of so 



