56 THE LIVERLEAF. 



From these veins along each side proceed the veirilets, and 

 from the veinlets start out the veinulets. The latter form a 

 fine network throughout, and so differ from the forked vein- 

 ulets of the Ferns (p. 22). Hence this leaf is palmi-vemed 

 and net-veined. Take note also of the persistence of the 

 leaves. They survive the frosts and snows of Winter until 

 after the new leaves of the following Spring appear. Thus 

 the plant is evergreen. 



Inflorescence. The flowers are mounted each on a 

 slender stalk arising from the crown with the petioles. Such 

 stalks, bearing no true leaves, but flowers only, are called 

 scapes. Near the top of the scape, a little below the flower, 

 is a whorl of 3 little green leaves egg-shaped or ovate* in 

 outline. Are these the sepals of the calyx? They are not 

 so regarded, for they are remote from the flower. They are 

 bracts forming an involucre (involvo, I wrap up). 



The calyx resembles a corolla. There are 6 to 9 colored, 

 oblong or obovate sepals, white or delicately tinged with 

 blue or purple. But why is this circlet called a calyx rather 

 than a corolla? It is so named in accordance with a general 

 rule that " the outer whorl of the floral envelopes shall be 

 regarded as the calyx whatever be its color." Hence the 

 corolla is wanting in this flower, as there is no second inte- 

 rior whorl, and the flower is apetalous (without petals). The 

 stamens, pistils and fruit are so nearly like those of Banun- 

 culus that the student will need no repetition of the terms to 

 be employed in their description. 



The Ovule (4, 5) grows out or is pendulous from the top 

 of its cell. The stalk (funiculus) passes down its side to s, 

 or rather say the ovule is andtropous, i. e., turned or bent 

 over on its stalk. How is it in Claytonia (p. 42) ? 



* The term ovate is employed in describing flat, expanded bodies, like leaves ; ovoid 

 is applicable to solids, such as the bulb. 



