286 THE FLOWER. 



506. Still, in botanical descriptions, it is ordinarily more con- 

 venient and usual to regard the calyx as a whole, and to express 

 the degree of union or separation by the same terms as those 

 which designate the degree of division of the blade of a leaf (281- 

 283) : as, for example, Calyx five-toothed, when the sepals of a 

 pentaphyllous calyx are united almost to the top ; five-cleft, when 

 united to about the middle ; five-parted, when they are separate 

 almost to the base ; and five-lobed, for any degree of division less 

 than five-parted, without reference to its particular extent. The 

 united portion of a gamophyllous calyx is called its tube ; the dis- 

 tinct portions of the sepals are termed the teeth, segments, or lobes, 

 according to their length as compared with the tube ; and the ori- 

 fice or summit of the tube is named the throat. The calyx is said 

 to be entire (281), when the leaves of the calyx are so completely 

 confluent that the margin is continuous and even. The terms reg- 

 ular and irregular (446, 468) are applied to the calyx or corolla 

 separately, as well as to the whole flower. The counterpart to 

 calyx monophyllous or monosepalous in the current glossology is 

 polyphyllous or polysepalous (viz., of many leaves or sepals). This 

 is equivalent to the phrase, sepals distinct ; and does not mean 

 that they are unusually numerous, or of more than one circle. 



507. The Corolla has corresponding terms applied to its modifica- 

 tions. When its petals are distinct or unconnected, it is said to be 

 polypetalous ; when united, at least at the base, monopetalous, or 

 more properly gamopetalous, as already explained (461). The 

 united portions in the latter case form the tube of the corolla, and 

 the distinct parts, the lobes, segments, &c. ; and the orifice is called 

 the throat, just as in the calyx. The number of parts that com- 

 pose the corolla is designated in the manner already mentioned for 

 the calyx; viz., a corolla of two petals is dipetalous ; of three, 

 tripetalous ; of four, tetrapetalous ; of five, pentapetalous ; of six, 

 hexapetalous ; of seven, heptapetalous ; of eight, octopetalous ; of 

 nine, enneapetalous ; often, decapetalous. 



508. Frequently the petals, and rarely the sepals, taper into a 

 stalk or narrow base, analogous to the petiole of a leaf, which is 

 called the claw (unguis) ; and hence the petal is said to be unguic- 

 ulate (as in Cruciferous flowers, the Pink, Fig. 302, and Gynan- 

 dropsis, Fig. 352, &c.) ; the expanded portion, like that of the 

 leaf, being distinguished by the name of the lamina, limb, or blade. 



509. Some kinds of polypetalous flowers receive particular 



