STRUCTURE AND GROWTH OF THE PLANT. 



grow larger. The life of the tree starts the leaves growing, and 

 the buds burst and open up, some to form leaves and branches 

 and some to form blossoms. 



BLOSSOMS. Let us take a simple blossom like a yellow 

 buttercup. First we find five small leaves arranged around 

 the outside. These form 

 what is called the calyx, 

 and each of these five 

 leaves is a sepal. Just 

 above these are five 

 leaves of bright yellow 

 color forming the corolla, 

 each of which is called 



3. petal. Next inside the Fig. 14. Parts of a Blossom, as follows: End of 



,, i c stalk or "receptacle "in centre; two leaves or sepa's 



COrOlla are a number Ot of calyx on outside; then two leaves or petals of 



little stems or fine stalks, lla : then two stamens : then two pisuls - 



with tiny balls on their tips covered with fine dust. These are 

 called stamens, and the dust is pollen. Right in the centre are 

 some more little growths called the pistils. This blossom, then, 

 has four parts calyx, corolla, stamens, and pistils. If we take 

 a buttercup, we can easily examine the parts by pulling them 

 off one by one, beginning at the outside. 



FORMING SEED OR FRUIT. What is the use of these four 

 parts? The calyx and corolla are 

 simply two rows of leaves, green 

 and yellow, arranged around the 

 two other parts to protect them. 

 Observe their form in the closed 

 bud. They guard the more valu- 

 able portion, the pistils and 

 stamens, and when their work is 

 done they drop off. The fine 

 dust or pollen from the stamens 

 drops on the top of the pistils. 



Fig. 15. Stamen and Pistil. Stamen on 

 left showing a, the stalk, and b, the 



head, covered with pollen dust. Pistil 

 on right showing t, the stigma on 

 which the pollen falls; 6 the style, and 

 d the ovary containing the seeds, a. 



