PARTS OF THE FLOWER. 



17 



Sytematic Botany is divided into the artificial and natural methods. 

 The artificial method is founded upon different circumstances of 



two organs of the plant, called the pistils and stamens. Linnaeus, of 



Sweden, discovered that these organs are common to all plants, and 



essential to their existence. 

 Taking advantage of this fact, 

 he founded divisions, called 

 classes and orders, upon their 

 number^ situation, and propor- 

 tion. By this system, plants 

 which are unlike in their gen- 

 eral appearance, but agree in 

 certain particulars of their sta- 

 mens and pistils, are brought 

 together ; thus in a dictionary, 

 words of diflferent signification 

 are placed together from the 

 mere circumstance of agree- 

 ment in their initial letters. 



Before you can learn the 

 principles on which the classi- 

 fication of plants depends, it is 

 necessary that you should be- 

 come acquainted with the parts 

 of a flower ; — you have here the 

 representation of a white Lily. 

 {See fig. 1.) At first this flower 



is folded up in a green bud, by degrees it changes its colour, and 



expands into a blossom. 



Fig. 1 



Explanation of the parts of a flower as seen in the Lily. 



The envelope is called the corolla, 

 from corona, a crown. 



The pieces which compose the co- 

 rolla are called petals. (Fig. 1. a.) 



The six thread-like organs within 

 the corolla are called stamens ; each 

 stamen consists of a. filament, (Fig. 2. 

 a,) and an anther (b.) The anther 

 contains the pollen, a fine powder, 

 which serves to give life to the young 

 seed. When the flower comes to ma- 

 turity, the anthers burst and scatter 

 the pollen. In the centre of the flower 

 is the pistil, (Fig. 2. c ;) this consists 

 of the germ, (rZ,) the style, (e,) and the 

 stigma, (/.) The germ contains the 

 young seeds, called ovules ; these are 

 contained in one or more cavities, 

 called cells. The end of the stem 

 which supports the organs of the flow- 

 er, and which in some plants is very 

 broad, is called the receptacle, (Fig. 

 8- g--) 



Artificial Method— The flower enveloped in the bud— Corolla— Petals— StameD"*-' 

 Parts of a etamen— Pistil— Parts of the pistil— Receptacle. 



