CHAPTER XIV. 

 FLOWERS 



FLOWERS are clusters of leaves and stems modified for the 

 purpose of forming the reproductive organs and insuring 

 pollination and fertilization. There are frequently special 

 modifications of the calyx, corolla, androecium and gynce- 

 cium. 



Parts of a Typical Flower^ The stem of the flowers is the 

 pedicle; the modified end of the stem which bears the floral 

 organs is the torus; the outer or first circle of parts developing 

 from the torus is the calyx which is composed of sepals; the 

 second circle of the flower is the corolla which is composed 

 of petals; the third circle is the androecium and is made up 

 of stamens; the fourth or inner circle of the flower is the 

 gynoscium and is made up of one or more pistils which are 

 composed of one or more carpels. 



The Torus or Receptacle. There is a great variation in the 

 size, form, surface and texture of the receptacle in different 

 flowers. 



The torus in most flowers is nearly flat. The parts have a 

 cyclic arrangement and the parts of each circle alternate, 

 the inner set of parts standing opposite the sinuses of the 

 outer circle or parts, etc. In other flowers the torus is 

 convex or elongated and the flowers have a spiral arrangement, 

 the sepals being at the base and the pistil at the apex of the 

 spiral. In the rose the pistils are arranged on the sides of the 

 concave torus, while the sepals, petals and stamens appear 

 to grow from the upper edge of the torus. 



The parts of the torus from which the circles of floral 

 12 



