214 SPECIAL EXERCISES ON TYPICAL FLOWERS 



2. Form of corolla, number, attachment, and cohesion of 

 the petals. 



3. Number, attachment, and other peculiarities of stamens. 



4. Number of ovaries and stigmas. 



Note. All members of the mint family are alike in shape of 

 their stems, arrangement of their leaves, shape of their flowers, and 

 number of their ovaries. Their stamens differ in number, but 

 they agree in being unequal in length; that is, 2 long and 2 short 

 or 4 long and 2 short (didynamous or tetradynamous). Their 

 foliage is usually odorous, for example, peppermint, spearmint, 

 hoarhound, pennyroyal, catmint, and ground ivy. Among autumn 

 flowers the salvias of the gardens are good for study. 



Suggestion. Study any mint in the field as it is sug- 

 gested to do with toadflax. What insects visit it ? How is the 

 flower adapted to receive the visits of insects ? How are the 

 essential organs arranged for giving and receiving pollen ? 



Note. The splendid scarlet salvia of the parks and gardens 

 and the common coleus plants are good mints for any season from 

 May to November. 



183. THE SUNFLOWER, ASTERS, OR GOLDENROD 



The sunflower belongs to the largest of all families of 

 flowering plants. This family is known as the Compositae, 

 because their so-called flower is composed of many small 

 flowers closely packed together, the whole cluster resem- 

 bling one flower. 



Method. A sunflower should be examined as a whole, 

 noting, first, the circles of green leaflike organs (bracts) 

 which imitate a calyx; second, the single circle of yellow, 

 strap-shaped flowers which appear to be a corolla; and 

 last, the broad disk covered with the dark brown tubular 

 flowers where stamens and pistils are seen in simple flowers. 



