THE FLOWER 129 
seeds. Examine a Primrose, and you will find a 
different form of pistil. You will see it consists of 
three parts: (a) An ovary at the base, containing 
ovules; (6) a stalk called the style ; (c) a knoblike 
organ on the top of the stalk, known as the stigma. 
Before ovules can become fertile seeds, pollen from 
the anthers must lodge on the sticky stigma. A 
narrow tube is made from the stigma to the ovary, 
and through this tube the pollen grains inject a fluid. 
This fluid fertilizes the ovules, which develop into 
seeds. In the buttercup, each carpel bears its own 
stigma, whichisconnected with it bya veryshort style. 
Some flowers have but one outer covering ; that is 
they do not have both calyx and corolla. It is then 
difficult to decide whether the covering, or envelope, 
is to be called a calyx or a corolla. This difficulty 
is overcome by using the term perianth (Greek, 
pert = around ; anthos=a flower). Example: Tulip. 
Stamens and pistils are not always present in 
the same flower : in that case pollen is carried from 
the staminate to. the pistillate flowers by insects 
or wind. Many flowers object to self-fertilization, 
and so have wonderful arrangements to secure 
_ eross-fertilization. 
A flower bearing stamens, but no pistil, is called 
barren. Pistillate flowers are fertile. 
The REcEPTACLE is that part of a flower on which 
all the other parts rest. It is very distinct in com- 
pound flowers like the Daisy or Thistle. 
The NecTaRy, as its name implies, is a nectar or 
honey vessel. Buttercups have a scalelike nectary 
at the base of each of their petals. 
The arrangement of the flowers upon the stem is 
17 
