52 MEMBERS OF PLANTS. 



leaves, either united or separate in form of a whorl, 

 and is termed simply the flower- cup ', or, along with 

 the blossom, the flower-envelope 2 . By some hallucina- 

 tion not unusual in science, the latter term is applied 

 to the fruit 3 , as in mercury, and to the fructification 4 , 

 as in the bramble. I think it would be well to banish 

 a term so involved in confusion. This species of flower- 

 cup may be composed of several leaves united into 

 one leaf 5 , as in the primrose, which may again be par- 

 tially cut or divided ; or of two leaves, as in the poppy ; 

 of three leaves, as in the dock ; or of many leaves, as 

 in butter-cup, wall-flower, and water-cress. 



It may be necessary to remark, that the one-leafed 

 flower-cup usually remains, and sometimes grows, after 

 the formation of the seed, as in winter cherry. It is 

 said to possess a tube at the base, a throat in the mid- 

 dle, and a border at the summit, the latter of which is 

 often toothed, cleft, or divided, more or less deeply or 

 regularly, and may be seen in various forms, bulged, 

 bell-shaped, pear-shaped, prismatic, spurred, lipped, or 

 winged. The many-leafed flower- cup may have two 

 leaves, termed by some sepals, as in fumitory ; three 

 leaves, as in pilewort; four leaves, as in cabbage; or 

 five leaves, as in flax. It rarely remains after the seed 

 is formed. 



(1) In Latin, Calyx. 

 (2) In Latin, Perianthium or Perigonium. 



(3) In Latin, Perianthium fructus. 



(4) In Latin, Perianthium fructificationis. 



(5) In Latin, Sepalum, an unnecessary barbarous term. 



(6) In Latin, Monophyllus or Calyx gamosepalus. 



