

TO BEGINNERS IN THE STUDY OF BOTANY. xi 
FLOWER. 
The flower is that part of the plant which produces the seed, and 
thereby perpetuates the plant. 
A complete flower is made up of four sets of organs arranged in groups: 
the outer group constitutes the calyx, the parts of which are sepals; the 
next group is called the corolla, and the parts are petals ; next inside the 
petals is a group of thread-like organs called stamens, inside of which are 
the pistils. 
The learner should procure flowers of the Buttercup, and examine 
them till he can distinguish the following 
PARTS OF THE FLOWER: 
CALYX (a cup).—The outer covering of the flower which when partly open 
resembles a cup into which the flower seems to sit. Examine a flower of 
the Buttercup, when not quite open; the outer green covering is the 
calyx, which in the case of the Buttercup is divided into five parts, called 
SEPALS. 
COROLLA (a little crown).—That part which is called the flower, the 
part next to the calyx ; examine the Buttercup when in full bloom, the 
yellow part above the calyx is the COROLLA ; in the Buttercup it is com- 
posed of five parts, called PETALS. 
SraMEN.—Inside of the corolla are grouped two sets of organs, one in- 
side of the other. The outer group is made up of parts called STAMENS. 
A perfect stamen is made up of two parts, the FILAMENT and the ANTHER. 
The FILAMENT is the stem, and the ANTHER is a sac, or vessel, on the 
top, which contains a fine powder made up of very minute granules, 
called POLLEN. . 
Pistmu.—Inside of the group of stamens is a group of organs, called 
PISTILS—a perfect pistil is composed of three parts: The OvARy at the 
base, the STYLE above, on the top of which is the stiamA. The STYLE 
is a tube through which the granules of pollen (having first fallen upon 
the stigma) pass into the ovary, where they come in contact with the 
embryo seeds, called ovaries, and fertilize them. 
LIST OF PLANTS RECOMMENDED FOR THE USE OF THE 
BEGINNER. 
The name of the order is printed as a head line. On the line below is 
the name of the genus, under the name of the genus, and a little to the 
right, the specific name will be found, and on the same line after the spe- 
cific name, the common name. 
To secure the full benefit of this mode of commencing, the learner 
should faithfully trace each plant he undertakes to examine through 
every step, in the description, no matter how well it may be known to 
him. 
