FLOWERS : THEIK FORMS AND KINDS. 



71 



210. An Irregular Flower ; that is, one in which all the parts of the same sort are 

 not alike. For in the Larkspur-blossom one of the sepals bears a long hollow 

 spur or tail behind, which the four others have not ; and the four small petals are 

 of two sorts. The Violet-blossom (Fig. 173) and the Pea-blossom (Fig. 351) are 

 symmetrical (except as to the pistil), but irregular. Fig. 174 shows the calyx 

 and the corolla of the Violet above it displayed ; s, the five sepals ; p, the five petals. 

 One of the latter differs from the rest, having a sac or spur at the base, which makes 

 the blossom irregular. So far, most of the examples in this section are from 



211. Flowers with tbe parts all distinct, that is, of separate pieces; — the calyx 

 of distinct sepals, the corolla of distinct petals (i. e. Polypetaluus), the stamens dis- 

 tinct (separate, &c.), and all the parts growing in regular order out of the receptacle, 

 in other words, inserted on the receptacle. These are tiie simplest or most natural 

 flowers, the parts answering to so many leaves on a 

 short branch. But as in Honeysuckles (Fig. 389) the 

 leaves of the same pair are often found grown togeiher 

 into one, so in blossom-leaves, there are plenty of 



212. Flowers with their parts united or growk together. 



The flower of Morning- 

 Glory (Fig. 4) is a good 

 example. Here is the ca- 

 lyx of five separate leaves 

 or sepals (Fig. 176) ; but 

 in the corolla (Fig. 175) 

 the five petals are com- 

 pletely united into a cup, 

 just as the upper leaves 

 of Honeysuckles are into 

 a round plate. Then, in 

 Stramonium (Fig. 177), 

 the five sepals also are 

 united or grown together 

 almost to their tips into a 

 cup or tube ; and so are the five petals likewise, but not quite to their tips ; and the 

 five teeth or lobes (both of the calyx and of the corolla) plainly show how many 

 leaves there really are in each set. "When this is so in the corolla, it forms what is 

 called a 



176 

 Moniing-Glory. 



