Pharmaceutical botany - Lighthouse Survival Blog

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PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY
A Complete Flower possesses the four whorls of fioral organs
arranged upon the torus.
The stamens and pistils constitute the essential organs, and a flower
is said to be Perfect when these are present and functional.
A Regular Flower possesses parts of the same shape and size.
It is Symmetrical when the parts of each whorl are of the same num-
ber, or multiples of the same number.
An Imperfect Flo'wer shows one set of essential organs wanting.
When either petals or sepals, or both, are present in more than the
usual number, the flower is said to be "double," as the cultivated
Aster, Rose, and Carnation.
If the pistils are present and stamens wanting, the flower is called
pistillate, or female; if it possesses stamens but no pistil, it is described
as staminate, or male; if both are absent, neutral, as marginal flowers of
Viburnum. Some plants, as the Begonias and Castor oil bear both
staminate and pistillate flowers, and are called Moncecious. When
the staminate and pistillate flowers are borne on different plants of
the same species, they are termed Diwcious, as the Sassafras and
Willow. When staminate, pistillate and hermaphrodite flowers
are all borne on one plant, as on the Maple trees, they are
polygamous.
The Perigone.—The perigone or perianth is the floral envelope con-
sisting of calyx and corolla (when present).
When both whorls, i.e., calyx and corolla, are present the flower is
said to be dichlamydeous; if only calyx is present, monochlamydeous.
The Calyx.—The Calyx is the outer whorl of modified leaves. Its
parts are called Sepals, and may be distinct (Chorisepalous, from a
Greek word meaning disjoined) or more or less united (Gamosepalous).
They are usually green—foliaceous or leaf-like—but may be brilliantly
colored, hence the term petaloid (like the petals) is applied. Ex.:
Tulip, Larkspur and Columbine.
In a GAMOSEPALOUS CALYX, when the union of sepals is incomplete,
the united portion is called the tube, the free portion, the limb, the ori-
fice of the tube, the throat.
In form the calyx may be regular or irregular; regular if its parts are
evenly developed, and irregular if its parts differ in size and shape. The
more common forms are tubular, resembling a tube; rotate, or wheel-
shape; campanulate, or bell-shape; urceolate, or urn-shape; hypocrateri-
form, or salver-shape; bilabiate, or two-lipped; corresponding to the