192 SLEEP OF PLANTS. 



MOTHER. 



The shape of the blossom in this class is so pecu- 

 .liar, that its petals, which are five, are called by 

 different names. Take off one of the flowers, 

 and I will show them to you. [PLATE 19.] This 

 large uppermost one that turns backwards, is 

 called the Standard; the two next, which are 

 both alike, and placed one on each side, are the 

 Wings; the lowermost, between the wings, is 

 called the Boat or Keel, and is generally composed 

 of one hollow petal, but sometimes of two : this 

 contains within it the stamens and pistil, which it 

 defends from rain. 



The flowers of this tribe in general spread out 

 their wings in fine weather, to admit the rays of 

 the sun, and fold them up again as the night ap- 

 proaches. I have lately read an account of the 

 manner in which Linnaeus first discovered this 

 fact, which shows how attentive he was to the ap- 

 pearances of nature. A friend having sent him 

 some seeds of a papilionaceous plant, he sowed 

 them in his greenhouse, and they soon produced 

 two beautiful flowers. The gardener was absent 

 when these were first observed ; and in the even- 

 ing, when Linnaeus took with him a lantern to see 

 them, they were nowhere to be found ; so that he 

 himself supposed they had been destroyed by in- 

 sects, or by some accident ; but the next morning, 



