MARRIAGE AMONG THE CLOVERS 97 



separately, that these two blossoms must surely be 

 flowers of quite distinct species ; yet they hang side 

 by side on one and the same plant like brothers 

 and sisters. 



The first point of difference which you will note 

 in the two is that the female begonia, as seen in 

 No. i, has five petals, while the male, in Nos. 4 

 and 5, has four only. (I call them petals both for 

 brevity's sake and because I believe them to be 

 so in reality, though fear of that terrible critic, 

 Dr. Smelfungus, who goes about like a roaring 

 lion seeking whom he may devour, compels me 

 to add that in the learned Doctor's opinion they 

 are parts of the calyx a petty distinction with 

 which, but for him, I would not have troubled you.) 

 But what is far more important than the number 

 of the petals is the fact that the female flower has 

 wedged at its back a large triangular-winged ovary, 

 or seed-capsule. It is the possession of this ovary, 

 indeed, that marks it out at once as a female : for 

 by a female plant or animal we mean, of course, 

 the one which lays the eggs, produces the seeds, 

 or becomes the mother of the young individuals. 

 If you compare the back of the female flower in 

 the lower portion of No. i with the back of the 

 male flower in No 5, you will recognise at once 

 the importance of this distinction. The female 

 blossom has a seed-bag, while the male is barren. 

 In No. 2 we have represented one such seed-bag 

 cut open crosswise, so as to show both the pro- 

 jecting wings and the numerous little seeds in the 

 three cells within. 



G 



