Fig. 239. Flower of a Larkspur. 240. Its calyx and corolla displayed; the five larger parts are the sepals; the four smaller, of two shapes, are the petals; the place of the fifth petal is vacant. 241. Diagram of the same; the place for the missing petal marked by a dotted line.
Fig. 242. Flower of a Monkshood. 243. Its parts displayed; five sepals, the upper forming the hood; the two lateral alike, broad and flat; the two lower small. The two pieces under the hood represent the corolla, reduced to two odd-shaped petals; in centre the numerous stamens and three pistils. 244. Diagram of the calyx and corolla; the three dotted lines in the place of missing petals.
254. The flowers of Larkspur, and of Monkshood or Aconite, which are nearly related, are both strikingly irregular in calyx and corolla, and considerably unsymmetrical. In Larkspur (Fig. [239-241]) the irregular calyx consists of five sepals, one of which, larger than the rest, is prolonged behind into a large sac or spur; but the corolla is of only four petals (of two shapes),—the fifth, needed to complete the symmetry, being left out. And the Monkshood (Fig. [242-244]) has five very dissimilar sepals, and a corolla of only two very small and curiously-shaped petals,—the three needed to make up the symmetry being left out. The stamens in both are out of symmetry with the ground-plan, being numerous. So are the pistils, which are usually diminished to three, sometimes to two or to one.
[255.] Flowers with Multiplication of Parts are very common. The stamens are indefinitely numerous in Larkspur and in Monkshood (Fig. [242, 243]), while the pistils are fewer than the ground-plan suggests. Most Cactus-flowers have all the organs much increased in number (Fig. [229]), and so of the Water-Lily. In Anemone (Fig. [233]) the stamens and pistils are multiplied while the petals are left out. In Buttercups or Crowfoot, while the sepals and petals conform to the ground-plan of five, both stamens and pistils are indefinitely multiplied (Fig. [245]).
Fig. 245. Flower of Ranunculus bulbosus, or Buttercup, in section.
[256.] Flowers modified by Union of Parts, so that these parts more or less lose the appearance of separate leaves or other organs growing out of the end of the stem or receptacle, are extremely common. There are two kinds of such union, namely:—