CHAPTER VI 



Dissected flower of Buttercup. 



THE FLOWER 



FLOWER OF A BUTTERCUP (Figures 6o, 6i). 



If we examine the flower of a Buttercup, we note that it 

 consists of four kinds of members inserted laterally upon a 



central axis. This is 

 seen with particular 

 clearness if we cut the 

 flower down the centre 

 (fig. 6i). ■ 



The portion of the 

 axis which bears these 

 lateral members is 

 termed the receptacle 

 (r). 



The outermost series 

 of lateral members is 

 formed by a whorl of 

 five small, green, leaf-like sepa/s (sp. cat). 



Standing immediately within the gaps between the five 

 sepals, and thus al- 

 ternating with them, 

 are five yellow, leaf- 

 like petals (/. cor.). 

 Again, within 

 these succeed 



numerous yellow \K ^S^ ^'^^M^^SIMiMWIWIK} / //^J 

 stamens (and). 

 Each stamen con- 

 sists of a stalk — the / 

 filament {/) — and a "'' 

 head — the anther 

 id). The young 

 anther has four 

 closed little cham- 



bej-g . tj^g pollen- Fig. 6i. — Vertical section of flower of Buttercup. 



sacs — which contain innumerable microscopic rounded bodies 



43 



