THE FLOWER 8i 



tinues to grow as a leafy shoot at the top of the fruit. 

 The leafy shoot at the top of the fruit sometimes gives 

 rise to another spike or fruit ending in a leafy shoot. 

 This mode of growth, known as proliferation, is an- 

 other proof of the identity of leafy and flowering shoots. 

 In Typlia angustata (hogla) the axis of the spike grows 

 into a shoot, which latter ends in a second spike, so 

 that there is a spike upon a spike (see fig. 269). 



The function of the flower, as already stated, is 

 reproduction, that is, the production of seeds from 

 which new plants similar to their parents may arise. 

 All parts of a flower have a bearing upon this function 

 directly or indirectly. The stamens and pistils have 

 a direct bearing, as without them no seeds can be 

 produced, while the calyx and corolla have only an 

 indirect bearing, in so far as they serve to protect and 

 otherwise help the most essential parts of the flower, 

 namely, the stamens and pistils. The stamens and 

 pistils are therefore known as essential or reproduc- 

 tive organs, and the calyx and corolla as non-essential 

 or helping organs. The helping' organs may be 

 absent without injury to the function of the flower, 

 but the absence of the essential organs involves non- 

 fulfilment of the function. In fact, there are many 

 flowers which are wanting in the helping organs, 



Flowers ,are known as dichlamydpqus when they 

 have both the helping whorls, mqnochlamvpppps 

 when only one helping whorl is present, and 

 ACHLAMYDEOUS when both the helping whorls arp 

 absent, The first class of flowers i§ known as epM-: 

 PLETE, and the last two classes incomplete, The 

 two helping whorls together go by the name of 

 perianth, although the name perianth is usually 

 restricted to the helping whorl or whorls when there 

 is no distinction in colour between the two whorls or 



(0 945) 7 



