OUTLINES OF BOTANY. XXV 
or such of them as are present, are capable of performing their several 
functions. Therefore, properly speaking, an incomplete flower is one in 
which any one or more of these organs is wanting ; ; and an imperfect flower, 
one in which any one or more of these organs is so altered as to be in- 
capable of properly performing its functions. These imperfect organs are 
said to be abortive if much reduced in size or efficiency, rudimentary if so 
much so as to be scarcely perceptible. But, in many works, the term in- 
complete is specially applied to those flowers in which the perianth is simple 
or wanting, and imperfect to those in which either the stamens or pistil are 
imperfect or wanting. 
85. A Flower is 
dichlamydeous, when the perianth is double, both calyx and corolla 
being present and distinct. 
monochlamydeous, when the perianth is single, whether by the union 
of the calyx and corolla, or the deficiency of either, 
asepalous, when there is no calyx. 
apetalous, when there is no corolla. 
naked, when there is no perianth at all. 
hermaphy odite or bisexual, when both stamens and pistil are present 
and perfect. 
male or staminate, when there are one or more stamens, but either no 
pistil at all or an imperfect one. 
female or pistillate, when there is a pistil, but either no stamens at 
all, or only imperfect ones. 
neuter, when both stamens and pistil are imperfect or wanting. 
barren or sterile, when from any cause it produces no seed. 
Jertile, when it does produce seed. In some works the terms barren, 
fertile, and perfect are also used respectively as synonyms of male, female, 
and hermaphrodite. 
86. The flowers of a plant or species are said collectively to be wnisexual 
or diclinows when the flowers are all either male or female. 
monecious, when the male and female flowers are distinct, but on the 
same plant. 
dicecious, when the male and female flowers are on distinct plants. 
polygamous, when there are male, female, and hermaphrodite flowers 
on the same or on distinct plants. 
87. A head of flowers is heterogamous when male, female, hermaphrodite, 
and neuter flowers, or any two or three of them, are included in one head ; 
homogamous, when all the flowers included in one head are alike in this 
respect. A spike or head of flowers is androgynous when male and female 
flowers are mixed in it. These terms are only used in the case of very few 
Natural Orders. 
88. As the scales of buds are leaves undeveloped or reduced in size and 
altered in shape and consistence, and bracts are leaves likewise reduced in 
size, and occasionally altered in colour; so the parts of the flower are 
considered as leaves still further altered in shape, colour, and arrangement 
round the axis, and often more or less combined with each other. The 
details of this theory constitute the comparatively modern branch of Botany 
called Vegetable Metamorphosis, or Homology, sometimes improperly termed 
_ Morphotogy (8). 
89. To understand the arrangement of the floral parts, let us take a come 
plete flower, in which moreover all the parts are free from each other, definite 
