THE FLORAL ENVELOPS, OR PERIANTH. 



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457. Union. We liavc seen that the floral organs arc often in va- 

 rious ways united. Considering their crowded state in the flower, we 

 rather wonder that they do not always coalesce in their growth. 



458. The calyx with united sepals was called by the early botanists 

 monosepalous ; the corolla with united petals was called monopetalous 

 (jiovog, one — from the false idea that such an organ consisted of a sin- 

 gle piece or leaf !). Opposed to these terms were pobjpetalous (iroAi^f , 

 many), petals distinct, and polysepalous, sepals distinct. 



459. The monosepalods calyx, or monopktalous corolla, al- 

 though thus compounded of several pieces, is usually described as a 

 simple organ, wheel-shaped, cup-shaped, tubular, according to the de- 

 gree of cohesion. ' The lower part of it, formed by the united claws, 

 whether long or short, is the tube ; the upper part, composed of the 

 confluent laminas, is the border or limb ; the opening of the tube above 

 is the throat. 



460. The border is either lobed; toothed, crenato, etc., by the dis- 

 tinct ends of the pieces composing it, as in the calyx of pink, the calyx 

 and corolla of Primula, Phlox, and bellwort, or it may becomR by a 

 complete lateral cohesion, entire, as in morning-glory. Here the cow 

 pound nature of the organ is shown by the seams alone. 



, Flower of Saponaria (bouncing bet) ; petals and claws quite distinct. SOt, Phlox; olawl 

 anited, with lamina distinct. 802, Spigelia (pink-root), petals still farther united. 303, Quamo- 

 cllt ooccinea, petals united throughout. 



461. A terminal cohesion, where summit as well as sides arc 

 joined forming a cap rather than cup, rarely occurs, as in the calyx of 

 the garden Escholtzia and the corolla of the grape. /- 



462. Ths Monea of adhesion are various and important, furnishing 

 some of the most valuable distinctive characters. An organ is said to 

 be adherent when it is conjoined with some dissimilar organ, as stamen 

 with pistil. All the organs of our typical flower aro described as free. 



