THE FLOWER 



109 



]4(;-148. United stamens: 14fi,ofa 

 plant of the Pulse family; 



147, in the Mallow family ; 



148, stamens united by 

 anthers in the Cmnposite 

 family. 



by the plant, or the stamens in the indivitlual flowers, are 

 very nninerous, the pollen may be exceedingly 

 abundant. 



206. In a few families the stamens are regularly 

 united, either by the anthers — as in the Compositce, 

 of which the Daisy is an example ; or by the hla- 

 ments, as in the Mallows and 

 the Leguminosce (^e.g.. the Sweet- 

 pea, Bean, etc.. Figs. 14r(!-148). 



207. The pistils collectively are 

 known as tlie gy n cerium ; tlie 

 stamens as the androecium. It 

 is well to hold clearly in mind 

 that these two groups of organs, 

 though often concealed or ren- 

 dered inconspicuous by the vi- 

 cinity of higlily colored floral 

 envelopes, are essentially the 

 flower. That is to say, pistils 



and stamens perform the essential function of the flower ; 



and the floral leaves 

 act a subordinate 

 part. Not very 

 rarely flowers con- 

 sist of pistils or 

 stamens alone. 

 This is practically 

 the case in the 

 Willows. The familiar 

 catkins are of two kinds. 

 The more showy ones 

 are made up of numer- 

 ous flowers, each com- 

 prising stamens, usually 

 two, with a scale at the 

 base. In catkins of the 



149-152. FhiwersofaWillow: 149, staminate other sort each luluute 

 catkin; 150, one of the flowers ; 1.51,1)13-. ,■ • i ^ 



filiate catkiQ ; Vfi, a pistillate tlower. flower IS composed Ot 



