4 AN INTRODUCTION 



remain longer. Without attending to this, mistakes 

 might easily be made in Helleborus, Nigella, Passi- 

 flora, Hepatica, Peganum, and others, in which the 

 Calyx is wanting. The distinction between a Calyx 

 and Corolla in doubtful cases will be treated of in 

 the next chapter. In many flowers the Calyx is de- 

 ciduous, dropping off the instant the flower begins to 

 expand; this is the case with Epimedium and Papaver. 



CHAP. III. 



OF THE COROLLA. 

 ' 



THE COROLLA, is the termination of the Ltbet\ 

 or inner bark, continued to, and accompanying 

 tlie fructification in this new form. of painted leaves. 

 Its use is the same as that of the Calyx, serving as 

 an inner work of defence for the parts it incloses, as 

 the Calyx, which is usually of stronger texture, does 

 for an outer one. 



The leaves of which the Corolla consists are called 

 Petals ; by which appellation they are conveniently 

 distinguished from the green leaves of the plant with 

 which they might else be confounded *. The Petal 



* Petal (in the Greek TrsraAav) signifies leaves in general ; 

 hut there being another Greek word (<pvA*o>) nearly of the 

 same signification, the modern Botanists have borrowed the 

 former to express the leaves of the flower. The ancients seem 

 to have had no distinct term in use to express this part of 

 the fructification. Thus Virgil, in describing his Ariiellus, 

 which is a species of Aster, the iiower of which has a yellow 

 middle, and purple rays, cajls it a golden flower, surrounded 

 with purple leaves. 



Aureus ipse (Flos) ; sed in foliis, quae plurima cfrcum 

 Fitnduntur, violae sublucet purpura nigrae. GEORG. IV. 



This loose expression, which is chargeable rather on the 

 language than the poet, has misled all its translators; as is 



