70 FIRST LESSONS WITH PLANTS 



calyx in two parts or series, and a great number 

 of petals. If we look for the pistils and stamens, 

 however, we find that the supposed simple flower is 

 really complex. Let us pull the flower apart and 

 search for the ovary or seed. We find numerous 

 objects like that in Fig. 66. The young seed is 

 evidently at e. There are two styles at t?, and a 

 ring of five anthers at I. The dandelion, therefore, 

 must be composed of very many small and perfect 

 flowers. 



86. Looking for the floral envelopes, we find a 

 tube, and a long strap -like part running off to c. 

 This must be corolla, for the calyx is represented by 

 a ring of soft bristles, a. We have, then, a head 

 made up of quadriserial flowers, or florets, as the 

 individual flowers may be called. The entire head 

 is reinforced by an involucre, in much the method 

 in which the dogwood is subtended by four petal- 

 like bracts and the calla spadix by a corolla -like 

 spathe. 



87. One cloudy morning the dandelions had 

 vanished. A search in the grass revealed num- 

 bers of buds, but no blossoms. Then an hour 

 or two of sunshine brought them out, and we 

 learned that flowers often behave differently at 

 different times of the day and in various kinds 

 of weather. 



88. In spite of the most persistent work with 



