96 
FIRST BOOK. 
join; very often they are quite free from each 
other. Nor are they always green. In the hhes 
and many other flowers you will see them coloured 
almost the same as the next ring of flower-leaves. 
8. ^^The number of sepals is not always five; 
they may be in threes or in fours ; but, of course, 
each kind of plant always keeps to its own 
number." 
FLOWERS.— II. 
1. Now look at the second ring of flower- 
leaves/' continued Mr. Grey. In the orange 
flower they are white. They grow just within 
the ring of sepals, and are the ^same in number. 
2. See how they spread out, as if doing their 
best to be seen. That is why we call them petals^ 
for that word means ' spread out ' ; and the ring 
they form is called a corolla^ because that is the 
word for ' a crown I think it is a good name 
for these lovely flower-leaves, for it reminds us 
of a king's rich and beautiful crown. 
3. Now see where each petal of a flower 
grows. It is not placed in front of one of the 
sepals^ or outer covering leaves, but just in front 
of the space between two of them. In that way 
the inner parts of the flower are well taken care 
of, for the sepals cover the openings between the 
