CHAP. II. 



COROLLA. 



Ill 



is the narrow part at the base wliich takes the place of the 

 foot-stalk of a leaf, of which it is a modification ; the limb is 

 the dilated part supported upon the claw, and is a modifica- 

 tion of the blade of a leaf. In many petals there is no claw, 

 as in Rosa ; in many it is very long, as in Dianthus. WHien 

 the claw is present, the petal is said to be unguicidate. In 

 some unnaturally deformed flowers the limb is absent, as in 

 the garden variety of Rose, called R. GEillet, in which the 

 petals consist wholly of claw. 



According to the manner in which the petals of a polype- 

 talous corolla are arranged, they have received different names, 

 which are thus defined by Link : — the rosaceous corolla 

 {Jiff' 97.) has no claw, or it is very small ; the liliaceous 

 {jig. 72.) has its claws gradually dilating into a limb, and 

 standing side by side ; a caryophyllaceous has long, narrow, 

 distant claws ; the alsinaceous has short distant ones ; the 

 cruciate flower has four valvaceous sepals, four petals, and six 

 stamens, of which two are shorter than the rest, and placed 

 singly in front of the lateral sepals, and four longer, and 

 standing in pairs opposite the two other sepals. If the corolla 

 is very irregular, with one petal very large and helmet-shaped, 

 or hooded, as in Aconitum, it is sometimes called cassideous ; 

 if it resembles what is called labiate in monopetalous corollas, 

 it is termed lahiose. The corolla of the Pea, and most Legu- 

 minous plants, has received the fanciful name o^ papilionaceous 

 or butterjiy-shajxd {Jigs. 98, 99.) ; in 

 this there are five petals, of which the 

 upper is erect and more expanded than 

 the rest, and is named the standard or 

 vexillum (etendard, Fr.) ; the two late- 

 ral are oblong, at right angles with the 

 standard, and parallel with each other, 

 and are called the wings or alee (ailes, 

 Fr.) ; and the two lower, shaped like 

 the wings and parallel with them, co- 

 here by their lower margin, and form 

 the keel or carina (carene or nacelle, 

 Fr.). The wings were formerly called 

 talarcE bv Link, and the keel scaphium by the same author. 



