1 66 The Great World's Farm 



Outside the pistil stand the dust-spikes, or stamens — 

 stalks bearing each a double sac, or anther, which is filled 

 with the dust known as pollen. Pistil and stamens together 

 form the inner and more important set of organs. 



The outer set consists of a double envelope of leaves; 

 the inner, or petals, more delicate in texture and more 

 varied in color, forming the corolla; and the outer, or 

 sepals, generally green, and forming the calyx. A per- 

 fect flower has all these parts, and some have double rows 

 of each. Naturally our eye is attracted chiefly by the 

 brightly colored part of a blossom, and we think little 

 about the inner organs, which are often almost or quite 

 hidden from our sight. But it is these inner organs 

 which are really the only absolutely necessary parts of a 

 blossom. 



Many flowers have no calyx at all; some have no 

 petals; but, provided they have stamens and pistil, they 

 can still accomplish all that is necessary for the perfecting 

 of their seed. Even pistil and stamens, however, may 

 be, and often are, reduced in size and deprived of their 

 stalks; but dust-cells there must be, and ovules, or grains 

 to be developed into seeds, there must be if the plant is 

 to bear seed at all. 



Now all these organs, the inner set as well as the outer 

 set, are really leaves — leaves whose appearance and duties 

 in life have been altered. The calyx still looks more or 

 less leaf-like usually, and it is not difficult to believe that 

 the petals might be leaves, too, though more delicate and 

 more daintily colored. But it is less easy to believe the 

 same of stamens and pistil. Let us, however, look for 

 them in any double blossom, and we shall find few if any, 

 for they have been changed into petals. It is blossoms 



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