THE FLOWER 



129 



175. 



Unisexual flowers of 

 Moonseed , borne on 

 different plants. 



Monoecious {i.e., of one household), when flowers of both sorts or 

 sexes are produced by the same individual plant, as in the Ricinus or 

 Castor Oil plant (Fig. 174). 



Dioecious {i.e., of separate households), 

 when the two kinds are borne on different 

 plants ; as in Willows, Poplars, and Moon- 

 seed (Fig. 175). 



Polygamous, when the flowers are some of 

 them perfect, and some staminate or pistil- 

 late only. 



254. A blossom having stamens and no 

 pistil is a staminate or male flower. Sometimes it is called a sterile 

 flower, not appropriately, for other flowers may equally be sterile. 

 One having pistil but no stamens is a pistillate or female flower. 



255. Incomplete flowers are so named in con- 

 tradistinction to complete : they 

 want either one or both of the 

 floral envelopes. Those of the 

 Anemone (Fig. 176) are incom- 

 plete, having calyx but no corolla. 

 The sepals, however, are highly col- 

 ored and petal-like. The flowers 

 of Saururus or Lizard's tail, although perfect, 

 have neither calyx nor corolla (Fig. 177). Incomplete flowers, accord- 

 ingly, ar-e: 



Naked or achlamydeous, destitute of both floral envelopes, as in 



Fig. 177, or 



Apetalous, when wanting only 

 the corolla. The case of corolla 

 present and calyx wholly wanting 

 is extremely rare, although there 

 are seeming instances. In fact, a 

 single or simple perianth is taken 

 to be a calyx, unless the absence 

 or abortion of a calyx can be 

 made evident. 



256. In contradistinction to 

 regular and symmetrical, very 

 many flowers are : 



Irregular, that is, with the mem- 

 bers of some or all of the floral 

 circles unequal or dissimilar. A 

 special and important case of floral 

 irregularity is shown by 



Zygomorpliic flowers which, like 



ITS 



181 



178, 179. Mustard: 178, flower; 179, 

 its stamens and pistil separate 

 and enlarged. 



180,181. Violet: 180, flower; 181, its 

 calyx and corolla displayed ; the 

 five smaller parts are the sepals ; 

 the five intervening larger ones 

 are the petals. 



OUT. OF BOT. - 9 



