12G VEGETABLE ORGANOGRAPHY. 



of floral leaves, placed symmetrically one above or within 

 the other, of which some, as the calyx and sometimes 

 the ovary, are of a foliaceous or nutritive nature, and 

 the others, as the petals and stamens, of a petaloid or 

 sexual nature ; or, if we consider them in another point 

 of view, of which some serve as protecting organs (calyx, 

 corolla) and the others as sexual organs (stamens, pistil). 



Each verticil may be formed of several rows of the 

 same nature, whence it results that the total number of 

 rows may vary from one to several. Thus, we find one 

 in the female flower of Euphorbia, and in naked uni- 

 sexual flowers ; two in the male flower of Euphorbia, and 

 most unisexual Monochlamydeae ; three in Cneorum, 

 and almost all hermaphrodite Monochlamydeas ; four in 

 isostemenous Dicotyledons ; five in diplostemenous 

 Dicotyledons and in Monocotyledons considered as being 

 isostemenous ; six in Dicotyledons with three rows of 

 stamens, and in diplostemenous Monocotyledons, &c. &c. 



On observing flowers in this respect, we see that there 

 exist calyces formed of one or two rows of sepals ; 

 we cannot affirm that there are any which have a great 

 number, because of the difficulty of distinguishing with 

 precision the outer rows of the calyx from those of the 

 bracts, properly so called. 



There exist corollas with one, two, or more rows of 

 petals. 



There are also stamens disposed in one, two, or more 

 rows. It is in the verticil that this number is most 

 variable. 



There exist carpels in one row. This is almost univer- 

 sally the case when the rows are numerous ; they are 

 then disposed upon an axis which is a prolongation of 

 the pedicil ; they are arranged spirally, sometimes pro- 

 vided with special bracts at the base, and thus these 

 flowers approach the structure of capitate ones. This 



