LESSON 12.] ITS PARTS OR ORGANS. 85 



225. The Organs Of the Flower are therefore of two kinds ; namely, 

 first, the protecting organs, or leaves of the flower, also called the 

 floral envelopes, and, second, the essential organs. The latter are 

 situated within or a little above the former, and are enclosed by them 

 in the bud. 



226. The Floral Envelopes in a complete flower are double ; that is, 

 they consist of "two whorls (181), or circles of leaves, one above or 

 within the other. The outer set forms the Calyx; this more com 

 monly consists of green or greenish leaves, but not always. The 

 inner set, usually of a delicate texture, and of some other color than 

 green, and in most cases forming the most showy part of the blos- 

 som, is the Corolla. 



227. The floral envelopes, taken together, are sometimes called the 

 Perianth. This name is not much used, however, except in cases 

 where they form only one set, at least in appearance, as in the Lily, 

 or where, for some other reason, the limits between the calyx and 

 the corolla are not easily made out. 



228. Each leaf or separate piece of the corolla is called a Petal ; 

 each leaf of the calyx is called a Sepal. The sepals and the petals 

 or, in other words, the leaves of the blossom serve to protect, 

 support, or nourish the parts within. They do not themselves make 

 a perfect flower. 



229. Some plants, however, naturally produce, besides their per- 

 fect flowers, others which consist only of calyx and corolla (one or 

 both), that is, of leaves. These, destitute as they are of the essential 

 organs, and incapable of producing seed, are called neutral flowers. 

 We have an example in the flowers round the margin of the cyme of 

 the Hydrangea (Fig. 167), and of the Cranberry-Tree, or Snowball, 

 in their wild state. By long cultivation in gardens the whole cluster 

 has been changed into showy, but useless, neutral flowers, in these 

 and some other cases. What are called double flowers', such as full 

 Roses (Fig. 173), Buttercups, and Camellias, are blossoms which, 

 under the gardener's care, have developed with all their essential 

 organs changed into petals. But such flowers are always in an 

 unnatural or monstrous condition, and are incapable of maturing 

 seed, for want of 



230. The Essential Organs, These are likewise of two kinds, placed 

 one above or within the other ; namely, first, the Stamens or fertil- 

 izing organs, and, second, the Pistils, which are to be fertilized and 

 bear the seeds. 



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