PAPILIONACE^E PEA FAMILY 



Flower of Sweet 

 Pea. 



The pea blossom may, with the aid of a little imagi- 

 nation, be said to resemble a butterfly; it certainly is 

 unique in form and so distinctive in char- 

 acter that any plant bearing such a blos- 

 som can at once be assigned to its proper 

 place ; hence the Latin name of the Pea 

 family, rapilionaccce, the butterflies. 



The petals of this 

 unique blossom differ 

 so greatly in form and size that they 

 have received distinguishing names. 

 The uppermost of the five is very 

 much larger than the others and is 

 called the standard or banner. In 

 the bud it is distinctly 

 the protector of the 

 stamens and Pistil others \ it surrounds and embraces them ; 

 the calyx being unable to do this because 

 of its small size. The two lateral petals 

 are called wings ; and the two lowest, 

 which are more or less united, make up Y oun g podofSwe e t 

 the keel. The keel encloses the stamens Pea - 



and the tiny pod. Stamens usually are ten, with fila- 

 ments united so as to form one or two groups ; some- 



94 



Banner, Wings and Keel 

 Petals of the Sweet Pea. 



