86 PLAIN FACTS FOR OLD AND YOUNG 



the sexual organs in the human species, let us briefly 

 consider the— 



Sexual Organs of Plants. — Flowers are the sexual 

 organs of plants. Nothing is more interesting in the 

 natural world than the wonderful beauty, diversity, and 

 perfect adaptability to various conditions and func- 

 tions, which we see in the sexual parts of plants. An 

 exceedingly interesting line of study, which has occu- 

 pied the attention of many naturalists, is the wonder- 

 ful perfection displayed in the adaptability of the male 

 and female parts of plants to each other. Without 

 burdening the reader with unnecessary technicalities 

 of detail, we will briefly notice the principal parts of 

 vegetable sexual organs as illustrated in flowers. 



Complete flowers are m.ade up of four parts, two of 

 which, the stamen and pistil, are essential, while the 

 other two, the calyx and corolla, are accessory. 



The calyx is that part which surrounds the flower 

 at its outer and lower part. It varies greatly in form 

 and color, but is most frequently of a green or green- 

 ish color. 



Just within the calyx is the corolla, which usually 

 forms the most attractive, show^^ and beautiful part 

 of the flower. The beautifully colored petals of the 

 rose, geranium, dahlia and other similar flowers form 

 their corollas. 



Vegetable Husbands.— Within the cup formed by 

 the calyx and corollas are placed the stamen and pistils 

 of the flower, the first being the male organs proper, 

 and the second the female organs of the flower. 



The stamen is composed of a stem, or filament, at 

 the summit of which are placed two little sacs, called 

 the anther, containing a fine, microscopic dust, the 

 pollen, which contains the male reproductive element 



