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THE STORY-BOOK OF SCIENCE 



Tobacco 



many petals. The tobacco blossom, then, has five 

 petals, the same as the mallow ; only, these five pet- 

 als, instead of being sep- 

 arate all their length, are 

 welded together in a sort 

 of funnel. 



' ' Corollas with sepa- 

 rate petals are called poly- 

 petalous corollas. " 



"Like that of the mal- 

 low, " suggested Claire. 



"And that of the pear, 

 almond, and strawberry, ' ' 

 added Jules. 



"Jules forgets some 

 very pretty ones : the pansy and violet, ' ' said Emile. 

 "Corollas with petals all joined together are called 

 monopetalous corollas, " continued Uncle Paul. 

 "For example, digitalis and tobacco, " said Jules. 

 "And the bell-flowers, don't forget them, the beau- 

 tiful white bell-flowers that climb the hedges/' Emile 

 added. 



"The five petals joined together are just as easily 

 distinguishable in this flower we have here, called 

 snap-dragon. " 



"Why is it called snap-dragon ? " asked Emile. 

 "Because when it is pressed on both sides it opens 

 its mouth like an animal." 



Uncle Paul made the flower yawn; under pressure 

 of his fingers it opened and shut its mouth as if bit- 

 ing. Emile looked on in amazement. 



"In this mouth there are two lips, upper and 



