ICLEllENTS OV STRUCTURAL HOTANY. 



37 



'1 

 Fig. 52. 



The stem is almost suppressed, aud, as iu the case of 

 the Hcpatica, the leaves are all radical. They are also 

 uet- veined. 



Tlie flowers are raised on scapes, which are hollow. 

 At first sight the flower appears to have a calyx of 

 ,^ many sepals, and a corolla of many 

 petals. Both of these appearances, 

 however, are contrary to facts. With 

 a sharp knife cut the flower through 

 the middle from top to bottom. (Fig. 

 52.) It will then appear that the 

 flower or rather flower-head, is made up of a large 

 number of distinct pieces. With the point of your 

 needle detatch one of these pieces. At the lower 

 end of it you have a small body resembling an un- 

 ripe seed. (Fig. 53.) It is, in fact, an ovary. 

 Just above this there is a short bit of stalk, sur- 

 mounted by a circle of silky hairs, and above this 

 a yellow tube with one side greatly prolonged. 

 This yellow tube is a corolla, and a close examina- 

 tion of the extremity of its long side will show ^'g 53. 

 the existence of five minute points, or teeth, from 

 which we infer that the tube is made up of five coJier- 

 eut petals. As the corolla is on the ovary it is said to 



be Ei>iiiiinons. 



Out of the corolla protrudes the long style, divi- 

 ded at its summit into two stigmas. 



To discern the stamens will require the greatest 

 nicety of observation. Fig. 54 will help you iu 

 your task. The stamens are five in number. They 

 are inserted on the tube of the corolla (epipetalous) 

 and their anthers cohere (Fig. 55) and form a ring 

 about the style. "When the anthers arc united 

 Fig. 54. i" *^i3 way, the stamens are said to be syniienesious. 



