158 LETTER XLI. 



stalk, which raises them above the low herbag-e that 

 surrounds them. Each has a tubular, angular, pale 

 green calyx, with five teeth corresponding with the 

 projectmg angles. The corolla {fig. 2.) is mono- 

 petalous, salver-shaped (that is with a cylindrical tube 

 and flat border), and a little contracted near the 

 middle of its tube; its border is divided into five lobes, 

 each of which is slit or notched at the end. The 

 anthers are almost without filaments, and stand side 

 by side half way down the. tube of the corolla; not, 

 however, alternately with its lobes, as usually happens, 

 but opposite to them. Perhaps you wiU not very 

 readily ascertain this without assistance ; either of 

 two modes will enable you to do so. Look dowTi into 

 the tube without disturbing any of the parts, and you 

 will then see that each stamen stands in front of a lobe 

 of the corolla ; or, if this does not satisfy you, cut 

 open the corolla, hold it against the light, and you will 

 then see that each anther stands upon a delicate, half- 

 transparent vein, which passes through the middle of 

 a lobe of the corolla {fig. 2.). This is an important 

 fact, for two reasons. In the first place, it enables 

 you to distinguish a plant of the Primrose Tribe with 

 certainty from all other monopetalous tribes, except 

 one ; and secondly, it indicates a great degree of irre- 

 gularity in the flower ; for by the rule I have lately 

 given you (page 132.) it appears, that, simple and 

 unchanged as the Cowslip flower apparently is, it 

 really has five of its stamens, namely, the first row, 

 absent, those which make their appearance belonging 

 to the second row. 



