12 
branch bearing a stigma. The petals of flowers of the Pea family 
have received distinctive terms : thus the upper one is called the 
standard or vexillum ; the two lateral ones the wings or alee ; the two 
lower or inferior ones the keel or carina. 
IS'ow let a flower be gathered of the common Sow Thistle. Wliat 
appears the calyx of this flower, as it is termed in common conversa- 
tion, is called its involucre., and the leaves of which it is composed are 
hracis. Within the involucre are a number of flowers usually termed 
fl.m'ets; the base upon which these rest is termed the receptacle ; in the 
present instance it is without settles. In some flower-heads of this 
Order the receptacle bears bristles or scales between the florets. (See 
the common Bluebottle^. The florets are all ligulate — that is to say, 
the slender tube of each floret is furnished at the top with a strap- 
like limb (wanting this limb the florets are said to be tubular). The 
stamens will be found inserted in the tube of the corolla, and the 
anthers will he seen near the top of the corolla tube, cohering into a 
cylinder round the style. The ovary is inferior, striated (when ripe 
termed an achene), crowned by a jmppns of numerous fine soft Avhite 
bristles (this pappus is the calyx of the floret). The fruit is often carried 
some distance from the parent plant by means of tlie light pappus. 
Next let an orcliid flower be explained — say, a Demlrohmm, as this 
genus is abundant with us. The flowers are ail on pedicels, and each 
subtended b}’’ a leaf termed a bract. The perianth is superior, com- 
posed of six segments. The three outer are often called sepals-, these 
are nearly equal in length. Tlie lateral ones are, however, obliquely 
dilated at the base, and connate with a ])rojt’ction from the base of the 
column into a, ])ouch or spur. The three inner segments form the 
petals (the lower one in the orchid flower is known as the labeJIum). 
In the flower being examined the two side petals are nearly of equal 
length with the u])per sepal; the lahellumi^ shorter than the other 
segments, articulated at the end of the basal projection of the column, 
concave at the base, with the margins gradually expanding into two 
lateral lobes, wliich usually embrace tlie column ; the terminal lobe is 
usually spreading or recurved ; the disk usually hears longitudinal 
raised plaits. The column is the thick centre piece, and consists of 
the consolidatiiui of tlie stamens and styles ; it is often short, winged 
at the sides. On the top is the anther, and if tlie lid be removed will 
he seen the four masses of pollen in collateral pairs. Below the anther, 
or its floor, as it has been termed, there is more or less of a projection. 
This is what is termed the rostellum, and immediately below this, on 
the inner face of the column, will be seen the stigma. 
As the flowers of the genus Jiuphorhia present some difliculty 
to the botanic student, a description of the inflorescence of one 
species, with occasional reference to others, is here given. The 
common garden shrub 'Eitphorhia {JBoinseitia) pulcherrima answer 
the purpose, so let us take it. The flowers are borne in cymes. 
The large vermilion-coloured leaves are termed bracts \ in this species 
they resemble the stem-leaves in nearly all except colour; these same 
organs, however, in some other species are very distinct in appearance 
from the stem-leaves; for instance, in Bojeri they resemble two 
fleshy, scarlet petals. Involucres on short foot-stalks, articulate at 
the base, green, ovato-orbicular, toothed, marked by five sutures on 
the outside, with which alternate, on the inside, five falcate processes. 
