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NATURAL HISTORY. 
5. FLOWERS. 
TT* H E flowers of plants are divided into 
four parts : the cup, calyx ; the petal, or 
flower-leaf, corolla ; the ftamen, Jlamtm / 
and the pointal, pijlillum. 
The CUP OF THB FLOWER is that which 
inclofes, and fuftains the flower ; and is di- 
vided into feven forts ; the perianthhim, In- 
*volucrum, fpatha, gluma, amentum., ca- 
lyptra, and volva. 
The perianthium is the moil common of 
the flower-cup ; confifts often of many 
parts ; fometimes of only one part, feparat- 
ed half-way into fevcral divifions, as the In- 
dia pink ; and always furrounds the bottom 
of the flower. 
The hivolucrum embraces many flowers 
collefted together, and which have each of 
them a perianthium. 
1 he fpatha is a (heath, which covers one 
or more flowers, that are generally without 
a perianthium ; it confifts of a membrane, 
faftei'.ed to the flock ; and differs in its figure 
and fubflance. 
Gluma is a fort of chaff, which particu- 
larly covers grain and grafs feeds. 
I’he lulus, or amentum, is a mafs of male 
or female flowers covered with fmall fcales, 
and faflened to an axis, in the form of a 
rope, as the irregular flowers of the violet. 
The 
