59 



Butterfly-formed Blossom Sweet Pea. 5, the standard; 6,6, 

 wings; 7, keel. 



In some plants there is at the inner base of the 

 petals an expansion which forms in the daffodil a cup- 

 like crown l , and in stapelia forms a thick covering 2 to 

 the seed organ. 



Linnaeus gave the name of nectary 3 to certain parts 

 of the blossom, which he could not understand, such 

 as the spur 4 in larkspur, columbine, and snap-dragon, 

 and the scale 5 on the claws of the petals, as in butter- 

 cup, said by Professor Lindley to be "a barren stamen ! " 

 It would be better to abandon this erroneous term, nec- 

 tary, the part so called having often nothing to do with 

 secreting or storing up honey. 



The Stamens. 



Immediately within the blossom, when there is a 

 blossom, there are from one to many small bodies, 

 varying considerably in size and form, which are termed 

 stamens 6 , and are considered to be the male organs of 



(l) In Latin, Corona. (2) In Latin, Orbiculus. 



(3) In Latin, Nectarium. (4) In Latin, Calcar. 



(5) In Latin, Nectarostigma. (0) In Latin, Stamina, 



