Geo. No—but I think they do in shape.
Tut. True. They are both irregular flowers, and have the same distribution of parts. They are of the kind called papilionaceous, from papilio, the Latin word for a butterfly, which insect they are thought to resemble.
Geo. The pea does a little, but not much.
Tut. Some do much more than these. Well—you see first a broad leaf standing upright, but somewhat bent back; this is named the standard. On each side are two narrower, called the wings. The under side of the flower is formed of a hollow part resembling a boat: this is called a keel.
Geo. It is very like a boat indeed!
Tut. In some kinds, however, it is divided in the middle, and so is like a boat split in two. All these parts have claws which unite to form a tube, set in a calyx, or flower-cup. This tube, you observe, is longer in the bean than in the pea, and the proportions of the other parts are somewhat different; but the parts themselves are found in both.
Har. So they are. I think them alike now.
Tut. That is the consequence of examining closely. Now let us strip off all the leaves of this bean-flower but the keel. What do you think this boat contains?
Geo. It must be those little things you told us are in all flowers.
Har. The chives and pistil.