natural Family of Plants called Composite. 89 
rium of Composite. I am not aware of any thing baving been 
yet said on thissubject further than that it contains a single erect 
ovulum, inserted at the base of the cavity. In addition to this, 
I observe in the greater part of Compositz, whose ovarium I have 
examined, two very slender filiform cords, which, originating from 
opposite points of the base of the ovulum, or of its short footstalk, 
run up, and are more or less connected with, the lateral parietes of 
the ovarium, until they unite at the top of its cavity, immediately 
under the style; between which and the ovulum a connexion is 
thus formed. In many cases, as in Liatris spicata and Tussilago 
odorata, these cords are easily separa ble from the ovarium, and have 
such a degree of tenacity that they may be extracted from it en- 
tire, along with the ovulum. In other cases they more firmly co- 
here with the sides of the cavity: and in those plants in which I 
have been unable to see them distinctly, I conclude they are not 
absolutely wanting, but that their connexion with the parietes is 
still more intimate. 
These cords may be supposed to consist either solely of the 
vessels through which the ovulum is foecundated, or to contain 
also the remains or indications of a system of nourishing ves- 
sels, or chordæ pistillares, the position of which points out the 
true nature of the ovarium in this class, or the relation it has to 
the apparently less simple ovarium of other families. I am in- 
clined to adopt the latter supposition. In order, however, to be 
understood on this subject, it is necessary to premise that I con- 
sider the pistillum or female organ of all phznogamous plants to 
. be formed on the same plan, of which a polyspermous legumen 
or folliculus whose seeds are disposed in a double series may 
be taken as the type. A circular series of these pistilla, disposed 
round an imaginary axis, and whose number corresponds with . 
VOL. XII. © N that 
