FLOWERS. 



39 



are in some cases ridiculously misapplied. Hence it has 

 been said of this country that its pears are wooden ; its 

 grapes disagreeable in taste and growing on weeds ; its 

 currant bushes prickly, and its gooseberry bushes without 

 thorns ; while its cherries have their seeds on the outside. 

 The ' native Fuchsia ' is one of these very inaptly applied 

 names, as will be seen when the parts of each flower shown 

 in Plates IV. and V. are contrasted. 



A complete flower usually consists of four parts — Calyx, 1 

 Corolla, 2 Stamens, and Pistil. These are also termed 

 the four floral whorls? A flower containing less than four 

 whorls is incomplete. The calyx is the outside whorl. Next 

 comes the corolla. The stamens and pistil are the inner 

 whorls, called andrcecium (stamens) and gynoecium (pistils), 

 and are the reproductive organs of the plant. Most people 

 know the difference between double and single flowers of 

 the same species, as in the wallflower, pink, Rose, Pelar- 

 gonium, — commonly called geranium, — and many other well- 

 known plants. But though the double flowers are popularly 



1 Calyx, a cup. 



- Corolla, a wreath or garland. 



3 Mr. Bentham, in his Flora Atislraliensis (a work with which 

 every student of Australian botany should endeavour to make himself 

 familiar), says, in paragraphs 92 and 93, xiii., introduction: — 'The 

 number of parts in each whorl of a flower is expressed adjectively by 

 the following numerals derived from the Greek : — 

 Mono di tri tetra penta hexa hepta octo ennea deca, etc., poly 

 12345 6 78 9 10 many 



Thus, a flower is disepalous, trisepalous, tetrasepalous, pclysepalous, 

 etc., according as there are 2, 3, or many sepals. 



Diandrous, triandrous, polyandrous, etc., according as there are 2, 3, 

 or many stamens. 



Digynous, trigynous, polygynous, etc., according as there are 2, 3, 

 or many carpels (modified leaves, of which the pistil is composed, 

 whether combined or distinct). 



