Flower 



( 347 



Flower 



ones, as well as by propagating existing varieties. 

 Hence many of the popular races of garden plants, 

 such as Chrysanthemums, Carnations, Auriculas, 

 iincl Tuberous Begonias, which have been brought 

 into existence by hybridisation, cross fertilisation, 

 and careful selection of the most perfect forms, 

 combined with high-class cultivation, are termed 

 " fl >rists'." To perpetuate florists' varieties, cut- 

 tings, layers, offsets, or grafts have to be depended 

 upon. Seedlings, except in a few cases, have a 

 tendency to run wild, even when they are the 

 result of careful artificial pollination. New varieties 



botanist regards these as the floral envelopes, 

 merely developed for the service of the flower 

 proper, viz. the organs of reproduction. A perfect 

 flower consists of the calyx (sepals), which is 

 usually green, and forms the outermost series; the 

 corolla (petals), which is the showy portion, is of 

 many colours, developed to attract insects, which 

 shall assist in fertilisation ; the stamens, which 

 are the male organs ; and the pistil, with the ovary, 

 which constitute the female element. Many 

 flowers, termed by the botanist "Incomplete," 

 are always lacking in one or both of the floral 



THE STEMMED FLAME FLOWER, KNII'UOFIA CAULESCENS (see FLAUK FLOWEH aiul KNIPHOFIA). 



are, however, raised from seed, and occasion- 

 ally from " sports," as in the case of the Chrys- 

 anthemum. The raising of new varieties from 

 seed is an uncertain operation ; not more than 

 1 per cent, of the seedlings is worth keeping as 

 a rule. 



In addition to the subjects that have been 

 already mentioned, Amaryllises (Hippeastrurns), 

 Roses, Gladioli, Fuchsias, Dahlias, Hyacinths, 

 Polyanthuses, Show and Kegal Pelargoniums. 

 Phloxes. Zonal Pelargoniums ("Geraniums"), and 

 Tulips, fall into the category of "florists' flowers," 

 and there are many others. 



FLOWER. 



A collection of modified leaves, including the 

 essential orpins of reproduction. The botanies' 

 idea of a flower does not coincide with the popular 

 acceptance of the term. In the latter ease the 

 showv parts of the blossom the calyx and cunilla 

 are' looked upon as the flower itself, wheiea- the 



envelopes. Others, although they belong by 

 affinity to Natural Orders of "Complete" flowers, 

 have only one series of floral envelopes. Thus in 

 Caltha, the Marsh Marigold ; Eranthis, the Winter 

 Aconite ; and Clematis, the corolla is wanting, and 

 the calyx forms the showy part of the flower. In 

 Helleborus, the Christmas and Lenten Roses, the 

 same thing occurs, but the petals are represented 

 by a ring of honey glands or nectaries. In Bou^ain- 

 villea, and in the popular Poinsettia, the ring of 

 protective "bracts" forms the showy part of the 

 inflorescence, and, in Bougainvillea especially, is 

 commonly regarded ;is the true flower. 



The botanist holds that all the component parts 

 of the flower have arisen through the modification 

 of the ordinary foliage leaves. That this is correct 

 frequently receives additional proof by fortuitous 

 examples of (lower leaves putting on the distinc- 

 tive forms and green colouring of foliage leave*, 

 and vice rend. Green (lowers are not uncommon 

 the green Rose and the green Chrysanthemum 



