THK FLOWER. 41 



ing dreams of the matchless glories of the infinite world, 

 that land of jiure hcart's-ease, where fadeless flowers and 

 sweet perfumes delight the garden of the Lord. 



86. Their profusion, their fragility too, united with the 

 important oflSces that many of them accomplish, the early 

 fading away of their young lives, and the good they leave 

 behind them in fruit, food, and seed, all teach us useful and 

 beautiful lessons, that we should strive to remember. 



87. A glance will show us that the flower is not a single 

 organ, like the root, the stem, or the leaf, but a combination 

 of several organs, distinguished by their names, calyx, co- 

 rolla, stamens, 2^ istil, anther, stigma, etc. 



SECTiojq- I.— Calyx. 



88. Calyx signifies a cup, and is the outer covering of 

 the flower. It is generally green, sometimes entire, that is, 

 without divisions, sometimes divided into leaves, which are 

 called sepals. When the calyx is entire we call it monose})- 

 alons (from the Greek monos, one, and English sepal, from 

 the Latin sei)io, to inclose). If divided into many sepals it 

 is polysepalous {poly, from the Greek pollus, many). Some- 

 times there is but one row of leaves, and they are colored. 

 We say then that the plant has no corolla, for in all cases 

 the outer row is the calyx. Sometimes there are many 

 rows, all colored, and we say that the calyx and the corolla 

 are confounded, that is, they cannot be distinguished. AVe 

 simply call it then a perianth (Greek, p>eri, around, and 

 anthos, flower). 



89. In the monosepalous calyx, that portion formed by 



86. What lessons do flowers teach? 



87. Is the flower a >?ingle organ or a combination of several ? What are their 

 several names ? 



88. What does calyx signify? Describe it. When without divisions. When 

 divided. When there is bnt one row of leaves, what do we call it ? When many, 

 and colored ? What is the word perianth derived from ? What docs it mean ? 



89. In a monosepalous calyx, what is that portion called formed by the union of 

 sepals? What the upper division? If the calyx takes its rise from below the 

 ovary ? What is strictly true regarding the true position of the calyx ? 



