THE FLOWER 



85 



of hairs or bristles, as in kukur-songa or kukshima, 

 and such a hairy calyx is known as pappus (fig. 81). 



When the calyx is inserted on the thalamus directly, 

 so that it is the lowest whorl of a flower, it is said to 

 be INFERIOR with respect to the pistil, which is the 

 highest whorl, and is therefore said to be superior. 

 In some cases, to be explained later on, the calyx 

 seems to grow from the top of the pistil, when it is 

 said to be superior in respect of the pistil, which in 

 that case is inferior. 



In some flowers, as in 

 jaba and Cotton (see fig. 

 167), there is a whorl of 

 green leaves below the 

 calyx. This whorl of 

 green leaves is usually 

 known as epicalyx or 

 whorl of bracteoles. Usu- 

 ally a flower originates in 

 the axil of a bract or 

 bracteole. The side of a 

 flower which is turned 



towards the bract or bracteole is said to be anterior, 

 and the side turned away from it is said to be pos- 

 terior. 



Corolla. — Corolla is the inner whorl of the peri- 

 anth. The leaves, called petals, of which it is com- 

 posed differ from the foliage leaves more than the 

 sepals in colour, form, and structure. As a rule the 

 petals are more or less brightly coloured, and serve 

 to attract insects and birds to visit flowers. Hence 

 the corolla is often called the attractive whorl. 

 Occasionally the petals are green, like sepals, then 

 they are called sepaloid or sepal-like. The petals 

 are usually narrower near their base, or even have a 



Fig. 8i.~Achene with Pappus 



