no 



THE FLOWKU 



^ Hino-le pistil witli the basal scale (Figs. 149-152). The 

 seed-hearino- flowers of the Pine and other Coniferce, as 

 already described, contain only pistils; their pollen- 

 bearing flo\\-ers, only stamens. When a flower lacks 

 l)oth o-ynwcium and andrceciiun, it eitlier becomes merely 

 tril)utar}- to other, fertile flowers — as in the case of the 

 marginal fltjrets in the heads of the Sunflower — or it 

 lacks altogether tlie essential character of a flower proper, 

 as regards purpose, eitlier directly or indirectly ; as in the 

 double Rose and other flowers transformed by cultivation. 



208. The floral leaves together are called the perianth, 

 meaning aliout the ^flower — a term not far from appropriate 

 if what has just been said is allowed. Commonly, two 

 distinct sets of tliese leaves are present : the inner called 

 fietah, together forming the corolla; the outer termed 

 gi'pals, composing tlie calyx. 



209. The nuuil)er of sepals and petals in particiflar 

 species is generallj- constant. In a majority of the Dicotyle- 

 dons the sepals are five, and the petals five, though four is 

 a common numl)er ; in ^lonocotyledons the members of 



the perianth are prevailingly in 

 threes. As the stamens are apt 

 to be as many or twice as many 

 as the petals or sepals, a numerical 

 plan is often prominent in the 

 parts of the flower. We say that 

 the flowers of the Dicotyledons 

 are often on the plan of five, those 

 of the Monocot^dedons on the plan 

 of tliree. 



210. Forms of the corolla. — As 

 an example of the j:e[itilar corolla 

 — i.e. ^\'ith petals all alike — the 

 flowers of any (if the Rose family 

 nuiy be recalled ; but tlie Colum- 

 bine ( I'lg. loo ) as well, since all tlie petals are spurred, 

 presents a regular corolla. In the Violet (Fig. 154), on 

 the contrary, only one petal is spurred, and the petals 



15?.. Flower "( ll}e Co 

 bine. 



