154 
THE FLORIST AND POHOLOGIST. 
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Fig. G.—Flower of the Pea. 
to understand their arrangement, it will be necessary to remove them in the 
order in which they present themselves. 
The most exterior {fig. 6, s), which is situated at the top, is the largest, 
and is called the standard. If you remove it gradually, and with caution, you 
will see upon it swellings which have corresponding cavities in the petals 
placed under it. These swellings are of the number of six; the two first are 
the greatest, and descend obliquely outwards ; the 
two following are much smaller, and descend 
obliquely inwards ; then the two last are perpen¬ 
dicular, and situated towards the base of the 
petal. Besides, the base of this petal is provided 
with two small tongues, which press upon the 
sides of the inferior petals, and tend to maintain 
them in position. 
When you have removed the superior petal or 
standard, you come to the two others {fig. 6, wi), 
which are called wings , the cavities of which form sort of mortices to receive 
the prominences which we have been observing. These two petals are only 
about half as broad as the former; they are placed on the same level, and you 
can see that their exterior cavities become prominences on the inside, which in 
their turn lodge in the cavities appertaining to the two more inferior petals. 
After having removed these there remain only the 
two petals at the base, forming a sort of boat ( fig.- 6, 
cap.) ; and as these petals are slightly united by their 
inferior edge, this edge is called the keel. You can 
easily split this keel by slipping the back of your 
penknife between them; but it is better, for the pur¬ 
pose of examining the organs which it envelopes, to 
seize it gently by the keel, and press it back against 
the stalk; it will then be easily detached, and leave 
the stamens and the pistil completely exposed. 
‘Fig. 
-Calyx and stamens of 
tlie Pea. 
In detaching the petals one after another, you see that they are inserted not 
on the support, as in the preceding flowers, but in the interior base of the 
calyx. You see also that the stamens have a similar origin. There are ten of 
them {fig. 7, s), the filaments of which are not entirely free, but are united 
about two-thirds of their length by a thin mem¬ 
brane ; and there is one superior which is entirely 
free, and not at all connected with those forming 
the common bundle. These ten stamens are curved, 
five are shorter than the other five, and the anthers 
open by two slits which are directed towards the 
centre of the flower. 
Let us turn now to the pistil or central organ, 
which, you will observe, is a flat green body, 
tapering at both ends, and furnished with a small 
stalk, which bears it on the support. It is sur¬ 
mounted by a neck {fig. 7, st), or stigma , which is 
curved, yellowish, forming an elbow with it, and 
furnished towards the summit with hairs, which retain the pollen. If you 
split this organ {fig. 8, cae, which is called a carpel ), throughout its length, 
by the suture on its inferior edge, you will see that it is composed of two 
plates applied one against the other, and enclosing small bodies, which are the 
ovules , suspended by very short cords on its superior edge. We need hardly 
state that this carpel and these ovules severally form, when they have attained 
their full development, the pod and the seed of the Pea. 
Fig - . 8.—Longitudinal section of the 
calyx and carpel of the Pea. 
