"Correct."
"But, mamma!" exclaimed Bennie, "my flower has no green part on the outside. Do not all flowers have a calyx?"
"Some do not; but in the case of the poppy, the calyx falls off as the corolla expands. Notice the bud which you have, the calyx is just ready to fall off."
"I see," said Bennie, and the rest examined the bud which he passed around.
"Now notice that in the pink the sepals are united in one piece, forming a cup, while the petals are separate. Some flowers have united petals. Those we call monopetalous, and those like the pink we call polypetalous. The sepals, calyx and corolla taken together, are sometimes called the perianth. I do not remember if I told you that the root, stem and leaves are the organs of vegetation while the flower, fruit and seed are the organs of reproduction. Now the calyx and corolla are only the protecting parts, while the essential organs are the stamens and pistils. If you can remember all this, with all the new names, you will do well for to-day, and next time we will talk about the stamens and pistils. Just one thing more, you notice that as you pull out one of the petals of the pink there is a long, narrow part running down into the deep cup. We call that the claw of the petal. Now see if you can find all these organs in other flowers, and give them their names."
SWEET-BRIER.
And leaving the children to busy themselves Mrs. Browne resumed her sewing, though she sat near and now and then joined in the talk which followed.