CHAPTER III. 



THE FERTILISATION OF FLOWERS. 



IT is popularly held that the chief end of plants is to 

 minister to man's sense of the beautiful in form and 

 colour, but the recent investigations of scientific men 

 should dissipate so presumptuous a theory. Man cer- 

 tainly does unless his nature be very depraved 

 derive very great pleasure from the presence of 

 flowers ; but the purpose of the fine odours, the 

 varied tints and exquisite forms of flowers is that 

 the species shall be continued 

 by the production of healthy 

 seeds. How they are instru- 

 mental in effecting this we will 

 explain. 



A flower usually consists 

 of four series of organs, dif- 

 fering widely in form and 

 office, but all modifications 

 of the simple leaf. These 

 are the calyx, consisting of 

 leaves called sepals ; the 

 corolla formed of leaves called 

 petals ; the stamens, and the pistil. The calyx and 

 the corolla are known as the floral envelopes; the 



