January, 1906.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



321 



TKe Evolxition of the 

 Flou^er. 



By S. Leonard Bastin'. 



PART I. 

 Broadly speaking, without tht\ complicated system of 

 organs to which, as a whole, we have given the name 



round the root stock. Some authorities go so far as 

 to say that the Lesser Celandine only very rarely pro- 

 duces fertile seed. Numerous other kinds of plants 

 are also able to propagate their kind by root increase, 

 runners, and such lik<'. methods. But, as any florist is 

 only too well aware, these processes are only realh' ex- 

 tensions of the original parent, for new individuals we 

 must look to the seed. This brings us back to the all- 

 important flower, and it will be the endeavour of the 

 present paper to try to show by means of natural 



THE P/EONY.^Ii 



of this flower, it is often seen that the sepals 

 resemble leaves. 



flower, the blossoming plants could not continue to 

 exist. With certain exceptions all the host of diversely 

 formed plants which produce flowers arc solely and 

 entirely dependent upon the offices of the floral organs 

 for the peipetuation of their kind. Some species, it is 

 true, seem toi be able to flourish and increase apart from 

 the services of the flower — for a time, at any rate. \ 

 notable instance of this may be cited in the case of the 

 Lesser Celandine (Riinunculus ficaria), in which plant a 

 great deal of the increase is carried out by means of the 

 small tubers which are to bo found thirklv clustered 



examples in what this indispensable body of organs had 

 its origination. 



It may be of interest to refresh the memory regarding 

 the number of parts which go to make up the typical 

 flower. Starting from the outside of the bloom wc 

 lind the calyx; this consists of a number of sepals which 

 may be green or coloured. Enveloped in the calyx is 

 the corolla formed of a number of petals usually 

 coloured to a gre:itcr or less degree. In the centre of 

 the flower we find on the outside a certain number of 

 the pollen-producing stamens, whilst in the middle of 



