WATSIDB WEEDS. 49 



is elegantly cleft Into four divisions. The fruiting 

 and seeding of these wiUow herbs are peculiar ; but 

 of that hereafter. 



The parts of plants to which, in thea^ our early 

 lessons, we have more especially directed your 

 attention, are all included in the term Reproductive 



Fio. 38.— », Four-cleft stigma of willow herb. 



Organs^-that is to say, they are such as conduce to 

 the formation of the seed upon which the con-, 

 tinuation and reproduction of the plant species 

 depend. The calyx, the corolla, the stamens, the 

 pistil, make up What we commonly understand as a 

 flower, and without a flower there can be no seed ; 

 but a botanist's flower and a florist's flower are two 

 very difierent things. The florist requires gay 

 colouring and fine petals, and cares but little for 

 stamen or pistil j the botanist looks to the latter 

 only as the essentials of his flower— in other words, 

 these organs are aU that are required for the proJ 

 duction of seed, and are therefore the essential 

 refrodvxitive organs; indeed, in some plants we 

 find no flowering beyond the stamen and pistil 

 development. 



