THE WELCOME OF THE FLOWERS 



369 



possesses both pistil and androecium, it is said to be complete. The absence 

 of any of the four organs calyx, corolla, androecium, or pistil renders a 

 flower incomplete ; but only the absence of one of its essential organs (i.e. 

 the andrcecium or the pistil) j renders it imperfect. We are speaking, of 

 course, not of that 

 which is accidental 

 and abnormal, but 

 of that which is 

 characteristic of the 

 flower. Thus the 

 Common A.sh(Fraxi- 

 nus excelsior), which 

 bears its male arid 

 female organs on the 

 same flower (fig. 451), 

 but has no floral 

 envelopes whatever, 

 is a perfect flower ; 

 while, on the other 

 hand, the Arrow- 

 head (Sagittaria), in 

 the different species 

 of which both calyx 

 and corolla are al- 

 ways present, but 

 which bears the 

 sexes on different 

 flowers, is imperfect. 

 We need hardly add 

 that, in both cases, 

 the flowers are in- 

 complete. It is, then, 

 evident that all im- 

 perfect flowers are 

 either male or fe- 

 male ; if the former, 



,, ,, , Photo by] \E. Step. 



they are called 8ta- FIG. 452. SALLOW (Salix caprea). 



minate ; if the latter, The spray 



pistillate na m e s 



which explain themselves ; while flowers which have neither male nor female 



organs are described as neuter. Of this latter kind are the outer florets of 



some of the Composites. 



Now, though the sexes are often separated in the manner described, 

 staminate and pistillate flowers are not always or necessarily borne on 

 ii 6 



the left consists of the male catkins, the so-called "palm"; that on 

 the right is made up of female catkins. 



