244 THE FLOWER. 



of the organ, i. e. whether caryx or corolla is to be specified, 

 the word sepal or petal is employed in the combination ; as, 



Disepalou*, of two sepals ; Trisepalous, of three ; Tetrasepalous, 

 of four ; Pentasepalous, of five (also written 5-sepalous, and ac- 

 cordingly 2-sepaious, 3-sepalous) , and so on : also, 



Dipetalous, Tripetalous, Tt-trapetalous, Pentapetalous (2-5- 

 petalous), &c., when the corolla is concerned. 



442. Monophy 'lions, Monosepalous, and Monopetalous are the 

 proper terms for perianth (calyx, corolla, &c.) composed of a 

 single leaf. Likewise Polyphyllous, Polysepalous, and Potypetal- 

 ous for the case of a considerable but unspecified number of 

 members. Unfortunately, in the Linnaean and long-prevalent 

 use, monopetalous was the term employed to designate a corolla 

 of one piece in the sense, or the fact, of a coalescence or grow- 

 ing together of two, three, five, or more petals into a cup or 

 tube ; and so of a calyx, of a whorl of bracts, &c. And poly- 

 petalous, polysepalous, and polyphjilous were the counterparts 

 of this, meaning of more than one distinct piece, whatever the 

 number. The misleading use, consecrated by long prescription, 

 is not yet abandoned, but will in time be obsolete. In present 

 descriptive botany, a polyphyllous calyx, or a polypetalous 

 corolla, or a 5-petalous corolla, would be taken to mean that the 

 sepals or petals (as the case may be) were distinct or uncom- 

 bined, and a monopetalous corolla to be one with petals combined 

 b}' coalescence. (329.) 



443. Terms of Union or Separation. The proper term for a 

 corolla or a calyx the leaves of which are more or less coalescent 

 into a cup or tube is 



Gumopef.alous for such a corolla, Gumosepalnns for the calyx ; 

 these terms meaning united petals or sepals. The older and mis- 

 leading names Monopetalous and Monosepalous. although current 

 up to a recent day, should be discontinued. Another term is 

 not rarely used in Germany, that of Sympetalous, for the gamo- 

 petalous (or formerly monopetalous) corolla, therefore Syn- 

 S'p<ilous for a similar calyx. It is perhaps a more apt term 

 than gainopetalous, and of the same etj'mological signification ; 

 but the latter is already well in use. 



ChoripetaJous is, on the whole, the most fitting name for a 

 corolla the petals of which are separate (as it literally expresses 

 this), that is, for what is still commonly called Polypetalous, as 

 already explained. (442.) It is adopted by Eichler, &c. Chori- 

 sepalous is the term applied to the catyx. Dialypetalous (em- 

 ployed by Endlicher) has the same meaning. Both this term 

 and choripetalous carry the implication of separated, rather 



