LESSON 13.] PERFECT AKD IMPERFECT FLOWERS. 



89 



as many as there are petals, — the Flax has only five stamens, or 

 just as many as the petals. Such flowers as these are said to be 



Perfect, because they are 

 provided with both kinds of 

 essential organs (230), namely, 

 stamens and pistils ; 

 I Complete, because they have 

 all thej-aorfs of organs which 

 any flftwer has, namely, both 

 calyx and corolla, as well as 

 stamens and pistils ; 



Regular, because all the part? 

 of each set are alike in shape and size ; and 



Symmetrical, because they have an equal number of parts of each 

 sort, or in each set or circle of 

 organs. That is, there are five 

 sepals, five petals, five stamens, 

 or in the Stonecrop ten stamens 

 (namely, two sets of five each), 

 and five pistils. 



240. On the other hand, 

 many flowers do not present 

 this perfect symmetry and reg- 

 ularity, or this completeness of parts, 

 ingly, we may have 



241. Imperfect, or Separated Flowers ; which are 



those where the stamens and pistils are in separate 

 blossoms ; that is, one sort of flowers has stamens 

 and no pistils, and another has pistils and no sta- 

 mens, or only imperfect ones. The blossorti which 

 has stamens but no pistils is called a staminate or 

 sterile flower (Fig. 176) ; and the corresponding 

 one with pistils but no stamens is called a pistil- 

 late or fertile flower (Fig. 177). The two sorts 

 may grow on distinct plants, from different roots, 

 as they do in the Willow and Poplar, the Hemp, and the Moonseed 



Accord- 



FIG. 174. Flowers of the common Flax ; a perfect, complete, regular, and symmetrical 

 Mossorn, all its parts in fivos. 175. Half of a Flax-flower divided lengthwise, and enlarged. 



FIG. 176. Staminate flower of Moonseed (MeniBpermnm Caiiadense). 177. Pistillate 

 fl<nver of the E&mn 



8* 



