THE EVOLUTION OF THE FLOWER 129 



of the brightly coloured corolla seems in every 

 case to be the means of advertising the presence 

 of the essential parts of the flower, in connection 

 with the scheme of fertilisation. 



Flowers with sepals and petals, but lacking the 

 reproductive processes, are, of course, unknown in 

 Nature, whilst there are many instances in which 

 the corolla is quite absent. One cannot well 

 escape the conclusion that the stamens and pistil 

 were developed from the leaf in the first instance, 

 the protecting calyx and the inner row of petals 

 coming later. If this argument be correct, we 

 should call the midway organs which have been 

 noticed in the Begonia and the Water Lily as 

 degenerate stamens rather than as developing 

 petals. 



The subject of the evolution of the flower is 

 a very profound one, and it is not possible to do 

 more than hint at the wonderful process whereby 

 the different parts of the blossom have been 

 developed. To the general observer the most 

 significant point is the manner in which at every 

 turn one is brought face to face with the great 

 importance of the leaf in the economy of the 

 plant. It is in the leaf that the wonderful manu- 

 facture of the life basis of the plant the green 

 chlorophyll takes place. It is from the base of 



