274 



THE FLOWER. 



calyx and the corolla wholly disappear, as well as all the stamens 

 but one (Fig 341) ; and even this stamen is wanting in some of 

 the flowers on the same stem, while other flowers consist of a sin- 

 gle stamen only. This brings us to a case like that of Euphorbia 

 (Fig. 344-348, illustrated by the diagram, Fig. 342), the greatly 

 disguised structure of which would be certainly misapprehended, 

 without special study. Nearly the furthest possible reduction, 

 perhaps, is seen in the Willow (Fig. 326-329), where the stami- 

 nate and pistillate flowers are distributed to different individual 

 trees, the first reduced usually to a pair of stamens, and the sec- 

 ond to a single pistil. The plan is represented in the diagram, 

 Fig. 343. 



484. A full illustrative series of almost all the kinds of deviation 



we have mentioned, but especially of simplification through sue- 



FIG. 344. Flowering branch of Euphorbia corollata; the lobes of the involucre resembling a 

 corolla. 345. Vertical section of an involucre (somewhat enlarged), showing a portion of the 

 staminate flowers surrounding the pistillate flower (a), which in fruit is raised on a slender 

 pedicel. 346. One of the staminate flowers enlarged, with its bract, o: b, the pedicel, to which 

 the single stamen, c, is attached by a joint ; there being no trace of floral envelopes. 347. 

 Cross-section of the 3-pistillate fruit. 348. Vertical section of one of the pistils in fruit (the 

 two others having fallen away from the axis), and of the contained seed ; showing the embryo 

 lengthwise. 349. A seed. 



