FLORAL ENVELOPES. 43 



337. If the union of the petals or sepals takes place in one 

 or two parcels, the corolla or calyx are said to be one or two- 

 lipped. These lips are always anterior and posterior with 

 respect to the axis of inflorescence, and never right and left. 



338. If the sepals or petals are of unequal size, or unite in 

 unequal degrees, the calyx or corolla is said to be irregular 1 ". 



339. If the sepals and petals are unequal in number, or 

 no multiple of each other, or if the stamens are neither equal 

 to them in number, nor any power of them, a flower is said to 

 be unsymmetrical. 



340. When the petals are so arranged, that of five the 

 uppermost is dilated, the two lateral ones contracted and 

 parallel with each other, and the two lower also contracted, 

 parallel with each other, and coherent by their anterior mar- 

 gins, a flower is said to be papilionaceous 19 *. 



341. When a petal tapers conspicuously towards the base, 

 it is said to be unguiculate 1 ^ ; its lower part is called the 

 unguis, its upper the limb. The former is analogous to the 

 petiole, the latter to the lamina of a leaf. 



342. The petals always alternate with the sepals, a neces- 

 sary consequence of their following the laws of developement 

 of leaves. 



343. If at any time the petals arise from before the -sepals, 

 such a circumstance is due to the abortion of one whorl of 

 petals between the sepals and those petals which are actually 

 developed. 



344. As petals always alternate with sepals, the number of 

 each row of either will always be exactly the same. All 

 deviations from this law are either apparent only, in conse- 

 quence of partial cohesions, or, if real, are due to partial 

 abortions. 



345. Whatever intervenes between the bracts and the 

 stamens belongs to the floral envelopes, and is either calyx or 

 corolla ; of which nature are many of the organs vulgarly 

 called nectaries. 



Of this nature are the horn-like bodies found beneath the upper galeate sepal of 

 Aconitum 192 , the cup of Narcissus 300 , a part of the coronal appendages or coro- 

 net of Stapelia '" . 



