O FLOWER-LAND 



we find one ? See, I hold the buttercup so that you 

 can look at it from below. What do you see now, 

 just at the top of the stalk, and spreading out under 

 part of the corolla ? Five little whitish-yellow leaves. 

 Are they not there ? If not, we must 

 take another buttercup flower, and try 

 again. We will choose one that has 

 only just come into blossom. If it is 

 one with the round, smooth stem I 

 spoke of, you will see the saucer- 



r leaves plainly enough. The larger 

 Fig. 3. Flower of J 



Buttercup. yellow cup is standing in a smaller 

 (ranunculus acris.} .... .. -T-I 



c corolla, k calyx, whitish-yellow saucer. The saucer 



is called the calyx. (Fig. 3k.) If it is very early in 

 the year, perhaps you will not be able to find this 

 buttercup with the spreading calyx. Still the butter- 

 cup will have its calyx, though its little leaves instead 

 of being spread out will be turned back close upon 

 the stalk. (Fig. 2.) 



Now look for the calyx in your other flowers. You 

 will see it very plainly in the primrose, or wild rose ; 

 and ia these it will be green in colour, as it generally 

 is. And do you not remember it in the strawberry ? 

 How each strawberry is in its saucer or calyx ? (Fig. 24.) 



Like the corolla, the calyx differs greatly in size 

 and shape. In the buttercup, the corolla is larger 

 than the calyx, but sometimes the calyx is larger 

 than the corolla. Though you will find both calyx 

 and corolla in most flowers, some have only a calyx 

 or a corolla, and in some the calyx very so6n falls off. 



