THE MILKWORT TRIBE. 31 



Separate a single flower from the others {fig. '2.). 

 At the base of its stalk grow three little scale-like 

 bracts, of a pale delicate lilac colour, like the stalk 

 itself ( fig. 2. «.). The calyx has five sepals — " Five?" 

 you will say, " I see but three." — The calyx has five 

 sepals, of which three are small, gTcen, and narrow 

 (fig.^. h. b.), and two broad, bright blue, and spreading 

 away from the flower like wings {fig. 2. c. c). You 

 no doubt mistook the last for petals, because they were 

 delicate in texture and rich in colour ; but it is not 

 such qualities that constitute a calyx, as you have long 

 since been aware ; a calyx is merely the outer row or 

 whorl of leaves, and you wdll find that the two blue 

 wings of the IMilkwort grow from between the green 

 sepals out of a row (fig. 2.), which, although a little 

 broken, e^ddently belongs to one whorl. 



Now it is a general rule that whatever number of 

 sepals there may be in a flower, there vn\\ be the same 

 number of petals, if there are any at all ; and although 

 no doubt we have exceptions to this, vet such is the 

 rule in most cases. The Milkwort looks as if it were 

 one of the exceptions, for upon examining its corolla, 

 the greatest number of parts you seem able to make 

 out is three {fig. S. h.b. c). Strip ofi" the sepals, 

 noting carefully the spots from which they separate 

 {fig. S. a.) ; you will then have a corolla with two 

 erect, lanceolate, blue segments {fig. S. h. b.), and a 

 sort of fringed projection in front of them {fig. 3. c), 

 called the crest ; this is but three parts. Let us, how- 

 ever, examine the beautiful little crest a little more 

 particularly, for which purpose we will cut it off" the 



