cases the term perianth is applied instead of corolla. This same term also is used in the case of the irregular, very often beautiful, and almost as often singular flowers of the orchis family.

B

44. Blossoms or florets of common Daisy. B, one of the yellow tubular florets of the central disk-1, its stamens and style-2, the seed. c, one of the white strap-shaped florets of the ray without stamens-1, the style-2, the seed.

Our next step takes us from the region of gay flowers into the domains of the rush, the sedge, and the grass. One of the rush family, to be sure, the yellow bog asphodel, is really pretty and flower

like, and the flowering rush of English pond and river sides bears an umbel of handsome flowers,

albeit it is not a true rush at all; but the rushes generally are, we need scarcely say, sombre and unattractive, until close examination detects the floral formation of their dark-coloured little blossoms, which consist of a single perianth―Fig. 46, 3.

In the blossom of the grasses we lose the rayed flower character; and though still we have what answers to calyx and corolla, these bear but little resemblance to the parts as we have hitherto seen them. Take up almost any grass; an ear of wheat will do well, or, indeed, of any grass. You will find that each little spikelet, as in Fig. 47, is composed, in the first place, of two outer scales-1, 1— usually called glumes. These outer scales have been considered to be analogous to the calyx or flower-cup of flowers generally; but as they inclose, usually, not one but several blossoms, they rather resemble the involucre, or green outer

envelope, of such composite plants as the daisy, the dandelion, &c. Within these

outer scales or glumes you will find another set of scales or paleo-Fig. 47, 2, 2-which differ in number according to the species of grass. These inner scales inclose within them the essential flower organs, and may, therefore, be considered to hold

The

the place of the corolla, or of the perianth. blossom of the grass is sober of hue, and yet how

well do we find the absence of gay colouring compensated for by the neatness, so to speak, of the compact spikes, or by the elegance of the drooping panicles of many of the grass family, still further adorned by those long awn appendages-Fig. 47, 5 -which in the barley or the rye are so conspicuous, and which in the beautiful feather-grass attain the perfection of graceful ornament. Appendages of various kinds are not uncommonly met with attached to the corollas of plants, and fringes of hairs, of glands, &c., as in the buckbean, or in the grass of Parnassus, give additional beauty; as if no "array" could be too bright for the "lilies of the field."

ESSENTIAL ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION.— STAMENS AND PISTILS.

THE STAMEN.

THE two parts of the flowering plant which have just engaged our attention, the calyx and the corolla, though generally forming a part, and that seldom the least conspicuous, of the reproductive organs, are not by any means essential to the perfection of these organs, so far as regards the end of their existence the perpetuation of the species. We now come to organs which are necessary for that perpetuation in the flowering plant, without which perfect seed, that is seed capable of being the germ of a new plant, cannot be formed. These essential organs are the stamens and the pistils of flowers. As we found in such a flower as the wallflower an outermost circle of floral development, the calyx, and within that the corolla, the divisions of the one alternating with those of the other; so we find within the corolla, in a perfect flower, the circle of stamens, also in alternate series, these organs encircling the last or central series, the pistil or pistils, which constitute the centre of the flower.

You cannot mistake the stamens in the generality of flower-plants; here we have them in our everfaithful example, the wallflower-Fig. 48—from which, for the sake of distinctness, the calyx sepals

and corolla petals have been removed. These stamens-Fig. 48, 1-are six in number, four long and two short. Open up a buttercup, and we have a whole crowd of these stamens-Fig. 49, 3-too

1

2

48. Essential re-productive organs of common Wallflower (the calyx and corolla being removed) 1, 1, the stamens-2, the pistil.

many to count.

49. Section of blossom of common Buttercup-1, petals, of which there are five2, portion of calyx sepal-3, numerous pistils or carpels-4, numerous stamens.

Turn to the bright blue blossom of the germander speedwell-Fig. 50-and we find but two. In the mare's-tail of our marshes, or in

the water star-wort of our streams-Fig. 51-the number is reduced to one solitary stamen to each