FLOWERS : THEIR FORMS AND KINDS. 
75 
217. Flowers with one set of Organs united with another. The natural way is, for 
all the parts to stand on the receptacle or end of the flower-stalk, — the stem-part 
of the blossom (191). Then the parts are 
said to be free , or to be inserted on the 
receptacle. So it is in the Buttercup, Lily, 
Trillium (Fig. 162), Flax, &c. But in many 
flowers one set of organs grows fast to an¬ 
other set, or, as we say, is inserted on it. 
For instance, we may have the Petals and 
Stamens inserted on the Calyx , as in the 
Cherry and all the Rose family. Fig. 193 
is a flower of a Cherry, cut through the 
middle lengthwise, to show the petals and stamens growing on the tube or cup 
of the calyx. The meaning of it is that all 
these parts have grown together from their 
earliest formation. Next we may have the 
Calyx cohering or grown fast to the Ovary , 
or at least its cup or lower part grown 
to the ovary, and forming a part of the 
thickness of its walls, as in the Currant and 
Gooseberry, the Apple and Hawthorn. Fig. 
194 is a flower of Hawthorn cut through 
lengthwise to show this. In such cases 
all other parts of the blossom appear to grow on the ovary. So the ovary is said 
to be inferior , or, which is the same thing, 
the calyx (i. e. its lobes or border) and the 
rest of the blossom, superior. Or else we 
say “ calyx coherent with the ovary ,” which 
is best, because it explains the thing. 
Stamens inserted on the Corolla. The 
stamens and the corolla generally go to¬ 
gether. And when the corolla is of one 
piece (i. e. monopetalous, 213), the stamens 
almost always adhere to it within, more or 
less; that is, are borne or “ inserted on the 
