WAYSIDE WEEDS. 



17 



there is a greater or less number of small bodies^ 

 little heads supported on slender stems (Fig. 13). 

 In the poppy and ranunculus these little bodies are 

 very numerous, almost too numerous to count 

 easily (Fig. 4) ; but look into your wallflower, you 

 have no difiSculty there, for six is all you can find 

 (Fig. 14), only you wonder to see that, in every 

 blossom you examine, two are shorter than the 

 others. Put down the waUflower, and take up your 

 wild mustard (Fig. 15), or your water-cress, and 



Fig. 15. — Bloeaom of common Charlock, 

 a, petal ; b^ i>, calyx sepals ; c, stamen ; 



Fia. 16.— Oalyx or flower-oup 

 of common Lychnis, a, 



d, pistil. calyx ; &, stamens. 



you will find the same thing.. Be sure yon have 

 ^ot an established fact, and do not forget it. Take 

 your lychnis, a red one, however, and you will find 

 ten of these Httle bodies (Fig. 16) j but, probably, 

 no central organ. Try to count them in the violet, 

 there are only five ; but you have some difficulty, for 

 they all adhere together, and two of them have 

 little spurs superadded, which n^ight confuse a 

 beginner. These Httle bodies, which we have just 

 been examining, are called the sta/mens, but what 



c 



