C. E. Smith

Name: Flowers, Shown to the Children
Author: C. E. Smith

Summary

"Flowers, Shown to the Children" by C. E. Smith is an educational text designed to introduce young readers to the anatomy and variety of British flora. Focusing on plants such as the Buttercup and Forget-me-not, the work carefully outlines botanical components—petals, sepals, stamens, and seed-vessels—through clear, child-friendly explanations.

Each entry blends scientific accuracy with poetic insight, emphasizing the relationship between floral characteristics and their ecological functions, such as attracting pollinators. Organized as a guide to wildflowers, it reflects a pedagogical goal of clarifying plant biology while cultivating an appreciation for nature’s complexity.

Quotes from Flowers, Shown to the Children (C. E. Smith)

C. E. Smith, Flowers, Shown to the Children

“ The third new word you must know the meaning of, is PETALS. Nearly every flower has petals. They are the beautiful coloured leaves of the flower that are within the calyx. It is these lovely petals, pink in the rose, yellow in the buttercup, red in the poppy, and blue in the forget-me-not, that most of us mean when we talk of flowers, and it is these soft, silky petals which attract us, and not us only, but the birds and the bees and the butterflies, which all visit the gay flowers. These petals are among the most beautiful things in this wonderful world. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

C. E. Smith, Flowers, Shown to the Children

“ It is a delightful plant to discover, as both the leaves and the flowers are beautiful.
The flowers grow singly at the end of slender stalks which branch from the main stem near the top. They are cup-shaped, with heads that are always drooping.
The petals are bright orange-brown, tinged with purple, and outside these brilliant petals there is a calyx of deep purple sepals. These sepals are lined with bright green and have pointed tips, and there are many hairs all over them. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

C. E. Smith, Flowers, Shown to the Children

“ Every child knows the pale blue Forget-me-not with its dainty flowers. It has many varieties which are found all over the country, but the Water Forget-me-not is one of the loveliest, and grows abundantly in ditches and marshes from spring to autumn.
It is a tall straggling plant, with long flower-stalks which grow singly on alternate sides of the stem. Those flowers nearest the bottom of the stalk come out first, and they soon fall off. The pink buds are always at the very top of the stem, and the full-open flowers are close below them. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

C. E. Smith, Flowers, Shown to the Children

“ You find the dull crimson Sorrel everywhere. It grows in meadows and pastures and open woods, and it is abundant all spring and summer.
The flowers are small and unattractive. They grow on a spike in whorls or circles, with five to eight flowers in each circle, and these circles are separated at short distances.
Each flower droops from a tiny stalk. It has three narrow green sepals, which fold back close to the stalk when the seed is ripening. Inside these sepals are three dull crimson petals, also small and narrow. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

C. E. Smith, Flowers, Shown to the Children

“ When the white petals fall off, you see two pale olive or dull purple seeds, shaped like little balls. These balls always grow in pairs, and they are covered with sharp, prickly hooks, which cling to everything they touch. You find them clinging to your clothes, and they get caught in the hair of a dog's back, and you see them sticking to the wool of the sheep who nibble at the hedge-banks. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

C. E. Smith, Flowers, Shown to the Children

“ The Common Butterbur grows in wet places, especially beside streams. It is not found in the North of Scotland, but is common in the South country. The flowers appear very early in spring, before the leaves, and they are nearly withered by the time the leaves are at their best. ”

C. E. Smith

Summary

Quotes from Flowers, Shown to the Children (C. E. Smith)

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