292 



that's it ; 



either side of the heel ; and lastly, 

 the vexillum, or standard, 20. 

 There are various other forms of 

 corollas, which will be included 

 in an illustrated table, 737, for 

 reference. It should be men- 

 tioned here that with reference 

 to some plants, in which the 

 petals are all of one colour, 

 such as the crocus, wild garlic, 

 &c, the term perianth is used 

 instead of corolla. It is gene- 

 rally applied when there is little 

 distinction between the corolla 

 and the part usually called the 

 calyx. 



We are not about to attempt 

 to teach the science of botany, 

 but only to call attention to some 

 of those more attractive matters 

 associated with its study, and 

 which may be rendered familiar 

 and pleasing to every one. We 

 must, therefore, explain that there 

 are now in use two botanical 

 systems of classification, which 

 find support according to the 

 views of different professors. 

 The first, and most established 

 of these, is the Linnean system, 

 so called because it was first 

 arranged by the learned Linneaus. 

 This system is based upon the 

 existence of sexual organs in 

 plants, and is varied according 

 to the number and position of 

 each division of these organs. 

 It consists of classes and orders — 

 the former associated chiefly with 

 those parts of plants which are 

 called the stamens, and the latter 

 with the pistils. We will,, there- 

 fore, give some explanation of 

 these parts. 



Stamens and pistils are the 

 sexual organs, or the parts con- 



728. 



cerned in the reproduction of 

 plants. We have examined the 

 bract, calyx, and corolla : if we 

 examine a flower, we shall find 

 numerous filaments, 1 , surmounted 

 by small lobes, 2. The 

 complete organ is a sta- 

 men ; the expanded por- 

 tion, consisting frequent- 

 ly of two lobes, 2, is an 

 anther : the latter is the 

 vessel which contains 

 the pollen, or male es- 

 sence of the plant. The 

 anther consists of a se- 

 ries of cells, which con- 

 tain the pollen, until it is libe- 

 rated by the bursting of the cells, 

 or some other equivalent pro- 

 cess. The pollen is the imme- 

 diate source of fructification. It 

 is a powdery substance of various 

 colours, but most commonly co- 

 lourless. When ripe, it may be 

 shaken like dust from the flowers, 

 or be taken by mere contact upon 

 the point of the finger, and 

 examined. 



In the centre of the circle of 

 stamens, there usually stands 

 prominently, and elevated above 

 the rest, one organ — the pistil, 3. 

 The pistil is the 

 female organ of the 

 flower, and will be 

 found, upon exa- 

 mination, to con- 

 sist of three parts ; 

 first, the point, 

 called the stigma, 4, 

 second, the inter- 

 vening stalk, or 

 style, 5, and the enlarged base, 

 or ovary, 6. The function of 

 the stigma, 4, is that of collecting 

 the granules of pollen upon its 



729. 



