THE BLOSSOM 289 



"The corolla or inner garment unites elegance of 

 form and richness of tint with fineness of texture. 

 It is to the flower what wedding garments are to us. 

 That is what especially captivates our eye, so that 

 we commonly consider it the most essential part of 

 the ilouvr, while it is really only a simple ornamental 

 accessory. 



"Of the two garments, the calyx is the more neces- 

 sary. Many ilowers, of severe taste, know how to 

 dispense with the pleasing part, the corolla; but they 

 are very careful not to renounce the useful, the calyx, 

 which, in its simplest form, is reduced to a tiny little 

 leaf like a scale. Flowers without corolla remain 

 unseen, and the plants that bear them seem to us to 

 have no blossoms. It is a mistake: all trees and 

 plants bloom. " 



"Even the willow, oak, poplar, pine, beech, wheat, 

 and so many others whose blossoms I have never 

 seen!" asked Jules. 



" Kv-ii the willow, oak, and all the others. Their 

 blossoms are extremely numerous, but, as they are 

 \ i \ small and have no corolla, they escape the in 

 attentive eye. There is no exception: every plant 

 has its blossom." 



