FLOWERS AND FRUITS 141 



ring, of five petals ; these are much larger than the 

 sepals, and of a bright shining yellow colour ; within the 

 petals are a large number of stamens, which, although 

 much smaller than those of the lily, consist of the same 

 parts a thin stalk with a swollen portion, the pollen- 

 box at the free end. In the centre of the flower, instead 

 of the single large ovary of the lily, are a large number 

 of little green bodies, slightly swollen below, and ending 

 in a thinner, hooked portion. By examining an older 

 flower, one from which the petals have dropped off, we 

 shall find that these little green bodies have grown, and 

 become hard and brown, and that with care we can open 

 them and see that each contains one seed. These green 

 bodies are in reality the ovaries containing each one 

 ovule, and correspond to the large ovary of the lily 

 flower. The thin curved portion of each little ovary is 

 the style, and spreads out at the end into a wider body, 

 the stigma. Overlooking thus for the time all the 

 differences, we find that the buttercup agrees with the 

 lily and tulip in possessing petals, stamens containing 

 pollen, and ovaries enclosing the ovules which later 

 develop into seeds. 



Other flowers will show other variations in arrange- 

 ment of parts. In the harebell or Canterbury bell the 

 large blue portion obviously corresponds to the petals of 

 the buttercup. It is, however, all in one piece, and only 

 the lobing at the top reveals the fact that it really 

 represents a number of separate petals. In some other 

 plants for instance, the primrose the petals are joined 

 up so as to form a narrow tube below, spreading out 

 above, however, in five large lobes. Notwithstanding 



