84 



FLOWERS. 



[SECTION 8. 



between petals and stamens. 



246. Tliat stamens are of tlie same general nature as petals, and there- 

 fore a modilicalion of leaves, is shown bj the gradual transitions that occur 



betwi'di tlie one and the 

 other in many blos- 

 soms; especially' iu cul- 

 tivated flowers, such as 

 Roses and Camellias, 

 when they begin to 

 double, thai is, to change 

 their stamens into pet- 

 als. Some wild and 

 natural flowers show 



"\\ '; ' •' 1 '' 'If il K/ //^ ^^^^ ^'''""^ interesting 



W \ ' ' M '"Wi.lll # transitions. The Caro- 



lina Allspice and the 

 White Water-Lily ex- 

 hibit complete grada- 

 tions not only between 

 sepals and petals, but 

 The sepals of our Water-Lily are green out- 

 side, but white and petal-like on the inside ; the petals, in many rows, 

 gradually grow narrower towards the centre of the flower ; some of these 

 are tipped with a trace of a yellow 

 anther, but still are petals; the 

 next are more contracted and sta- 

 men-like, but with a flat petal-like 

 filament; and a furtlier narrow- 

 ing of this completes the genuine 

 stamen. 



247. Pistils and stamens now 

 and tiien change into each other in 

 some Willows; pistils often turn 

 into petals in cultivated flowers ; 

 and in the Doul)le Cherry they 

 are occasionally replaced by small 

 green leaves. Sometimes a whole 

 blossom changes into a cluster of 

 green leaves, as in the "green 

 roses " occasionally noticed in gar- 

 dens, and sometimes it degenerates into a leafy branch. So tlie botanist 

 regards pistils also as answering to leaves ; that is, to single leaves wlien 

 simple and separate, to a whorl of leaves when conjoined. 



Fig. 228. Series of sepals, petals, and stamens of White Water-Lily, sho-wing 

 ihe transitions. 



FlQ. 229. A Caotns lilossom. 



