FLOWER. Flos, among botanists and gardeners, the most beautiful part of trees and plants, containing the organs or parts of fructification.
Though no parts of plants are more generally known than their flowers, yet the definitions given by different authors of this word are very various, and necessary to be explained in order to the understanding of their works. Jungius defines it to be the most tender part of a plant, remarkable for its colour or form, or for both, and cohering with the fruit. But this author himself acknowledges his definition to be too limited, as there are several plants whose flowers are produced remote from their fruit. Mr Ray, says the flowers cohere for the most part with the rudiments of the fruit; which is likewise a phraseology too inaccurate to be admitted in definitions. Tournefort defines the flower to be a part of a plant very often remarkable for its peculiar colours, for the most part adhering to the young fruit, to which it seems to afford the first nourishment, in order to explicate its most tender parts: but this is still a more indeterminate definition than the former.—Pontedera defines a flower to be a part of a plant, unlike the rest in form and nature. If the flower has a tube, it adheres to or is fixed very near the embryo, to the use of which it is subservient; but if the flower has no tube, then its base does not adhere to the embryo. This definition is scarce intelligible, except to expert botanists. Jussieu defines a flower to be composed of chives and a pistillum, and to be of use in the generation of the plant: but this definition is too imperfect, as there are many plants in which the pistillum are found at a great distance from the chives, many flowers which have no pistillum, and many which have no chives. Vaillant has been happier in his definition. He says, that flowers are the organs which constitute the sexes of plants, which are sometimes found naked, and without any covering; and that the petals which most of them have, are noway essential to their use, but serve, and are intended, merely as covers for them: but yet, as these coats or coverings are the most conspicuous and most beautiful parts of the flowers, these are to be called flowers, be they of whatever form or structure or colour; and whether they contain the organs of both sexes in each individual, or only of one, or even but of some part of one, provided they are not of the same figure and colour with the leaves of the plant. The shortest and most express definition, however, seems to be that of Martin; which is, that flowers are the organs of generation of both sexes, adhering to a common placenta, together with their common covering; or of either sex separately with its proper coverings if it have any.
The parts of flowers are, 1. The pistillum or ovary, which is the rudiment of the fruit, and is therefore properly the organ of generation. 2. The style, which is a body accompanying the ovary; either arising from the middle of it, or standing as an axis in the middle, with the embryos of the seeds round it. 3. The summits, called also apices, and antheræ, which are those bodies that contain the prolific powder analogous to the male sperm of animals, and generally hung upon slender
threads which are called the chives. 4. The petals, commonly called the flower-leaves, which are those tender fine-coloured leaves that are generally the most conspicuous parts of a flower. 5. The empalement or calyx, which is formed of these tender leaves that cover the outer parts of the flower. Flowers, according to the number of their leaves or petals, are called monopetalous, or one-leaved; di-petalous, or two-leaved, &c.
The structure of different flowers is very various; but Dr Grew has observed that the far greater number of them have the empalement, foliation, chives, &c. Mr Ray accounts that every perfect flower has the petals, stamina or chives, apices or summits, and the style or pistil; and such as want any of these he calls imperfect flowers. The greater number of plants have a flower-cup; which is of a firmer structure than their leaves, and serves for their support.
Flowers, designed for medicinal use, should be plucked when they are moderately blown, and on a clear day before noon: for conserves, roses must be taken in the bud.
Eternal Flower. See XERANTHEMUM.
Everlasting Flower. See GNAPHALUM.
Flower-Fence. See POINCIANA.
Sun-Flower. See HELIANTHUS.
Sultan-Flower. See CYANUS.
Trumpet-Flower. See BIGNONIA.
Wind Flower. See ANEMONE.
Flower-de-Luce. See IRIS.
Flowers, in heraldry. They are much used in coats of arms; and in general signify hope, or denote human frailty and momentary prosperity. See ROSE, &c.
Flowers, in chemistry. By this name are generally understood bodies reduced into very fine parts, either spontaneously, or by some operation of art; but the term is chiefly applied to volatile solid substances, reduced into very fine parts, or into a kind of meal by sublimation.—Some flowers are nothing else than the bodies themselves, which are sublimed entire, without suffering any alteration or decomposition; and other flowers are some of the constituent parts of the body subjected to sublimation.
Colours of Flowers. See the article COLOUR of Plants.
Colours extracted from Flowers. See COLOUR-Making, no 34, 38.
Preserving of Flowers. The method of preserving flowers in their natural beauty through the whole year has been much sought after by many people. Some have attempted it by gathering them when dry and not too much opened, and burying them in dry sand; but this, though it preserves their figure well, takes off from the liveliness of their colour. Muntingius prefers the following method to all others. Gather roses, or other flowers, when they are not yet thoroughly open, in the middle of a dry day: put them into a good earthen vessel glazed within; fill the vessel up to the top with them; and when full sprinkle them over with some good French wine, with a little salt in it; then let them by in a cellar, tying down the mouth of the pot. After this they may be taken out at pleasure; and, on setting them in the sun, or within reach of the fire, they will open as if growing natural-ly.
Flowers. ly; and not only the colour, but the smell also will be preferred.
The flowers of plants are by much the most difficult parts of them to preserve in any tolerable degree of perfection; of which we have instances in all the collections of dried plants, or horti feci. In these the leaves, stalks, roots, and seeds of the plants appear very well preserved; the strong texture of these parts making them always retain their natural form, and the colours in many species naturally remaining. But where these fade, the plant is little the worse for use as to the knowing the species by it. But it is very much otherwise in regard to flowers: these are naturally by much the most beautiful parts of the plants to which they belong; but they are so much injured in the common way of drying, that they not only lose, but change their colours one into another, by which means they give a handle to many errors; and they usually also wither up, so as to lose their very form and natural shape. The primrose and cowslip kinds are very eminent instances of the change of colours in the flowers of dried specimens: for those of this class of plants easily dry in their natural shape; but they lose their yellow, and, instead of it, acquire a fine green colour much superior to that of the leaves in their most perfect state. The flowers of all the violet kind lose their beautiful blue, and become of a dead white; so that in dried specimens there is no difference between the blue-flowered violet, and the white-flowered kinds.
Sir Robert Southwell has communicated to the world a method of drying plants, by which this defect is proposed to be in a great measure remedied, and all flowers preserved in their natural shape, and many in their natural colours.—For this purpose two plates of iron are to be prepared of the size of a large half-sheet of paper, or larger, for particular occasions: these plates must be made so thick as not to be apt to bend; and there must be a hole made near every corner for the receiving a screw to fasten them close together. When these plates are prepared, lay in readiness several sheets of paper, and then gather the plants with their flowers when they are quite perfect. Let this be always done in the middle of a dry day; and then lay the plant and its flower on one of the sheets of paper doubled in half, spreading out all the leaves and petals as nicely as possible. If the stalk is thick, it must be pared or cut in half, so that it may lie flat; and if it is woody, it may be peeled, and only the bark left. When the plant is thus expanded, lay round about it some loose leaves and petals of the flower, which may serve to complete any part that is deficient. When all is thus prepared, lay several sheets of paper over the plant, and as many under it; then put the whole between the iron plates, laying the papers smoothly on one, and laying the other evenly over them: screw them close, and put them into an oven after the bread is drawn, and let them lie there two hours. After that, make a mixture of equal parts of aqua fortis and common brandy; shake these well together, and when the flowers are taken out of the pressure of the plates, rub them lightly over with a camel's-hair pencil dipped in this liquor; then lay them upon fresh brown paper, and covering them with some other sheets, press them between this and other papers with a handkerchief, till the wet of these liquors is dried wholly away. When
the plant is thus far prepared, take the bulk of a nutmeg of gum-dragon; put this into a pint of fair water cold, and let it stand 24 hours; it will in this time be wholly dissolved: then dip a fine hair-pencil in this liquor, and with it dash over the back sides of the leaves, and lay them carefully down on a half-sheet of white paper fairly expanded, and press them down with some more papers over these. When the gum-water is fixed, let the pressure and papers be removed, and the whole work is finished. The leaves retain their verdure in this case, and the flowers usually keep their natural colours. Some care, however, must be taken, that the heat of the oven be not too great. When the flowers are thick and bulky, some art may be used to pare off their backs, and dispose the petals in a due order; and after this, if any of them are wanting, their places may be supplied with some of the superfluous ones dried on purpose; and if any of them are only faded, it will be prudent to take them away, and lay down others in their stead: the leaves may be also disposed and mended in the same manner.
Another method of preserving both flowers and fruit found throughout the whole year is also given by the same author. Take salt-petre one pound; armenian bole, two pounds; clean common sand, three pounds. Mix all well together: then gather fruit of any kind that is not fully ripe, with the stalk to each; put these in, one by one, into a wide-mouthed glass, laying them in good order. Tie over the top with an oil-cloth, and carry them into a dry cellar, and set the whole upon a bed of the prepared matter of four inches thick in a box. Fill up the remainder of the box with the same preparation; and let it be four inches thick all over the top of the glass, and all round its sides. Flowers are to be preserved in the same sort of glasses, and in the same manner; and they may be taken up after a whole year as plump and fair as when they were buried.