THE EVOLUTION OF THE FLOWER 117 



practically non-seeding is to be found in the 

 Lesser Celandine a species which only on the 

 rarest occasions produces fertile seed. The com- 

 mon mode of increase adopted by this plant is to 

 be observed if the axils of the leaves are examined 

 just after flowering time. In each recess there 

 will be found a curious little tuber about the size 

 of a grain of wheat. These will subsequently 

 fall to the ground, and, taking root, produce new 

 plants. We must regard instances such a? these 

 as exceptions to that which is the rule amongst 

 plants producing flowers. 



Seeing that the flower is such an important 

 feature of the plant, it is a matter of interest to 

 consider the relations of the blossom to the other 

 parts of the typical specimen. For the present 

 purpose it will be all-suflicient to think of the 

 flower as consisting of four parts. Starting from 

 the outside of the bloom, we find 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 greater or less degree. In the 

 centre of the flower we shall find a number of 

 stamens, these enclosing in their turn the group 

 of carpels which go to make up the pistil. As 

 well, in not a few flowers, there are present a 



