186 SYCAMORE. [CH. XIV 



pirouetting through the air as they fall to the ground; 

 and those who can recognise a seedling sycamore by its 

 strap-like cotyledons can easily obtain evidence of the 

 distance to which the "seeds" are carried. The de- 

 velopment of these winged structures presents several 

 points of interest. 



Fig. 86 gives the floral diagram of the sycamore, in 

 which it may be seen that the ovary has two cavities, in 

 each of which are a pair of ovules. In fig. 87 is seen 

 the bifid style, giving evidence that the ovary, as in 

 the ash, is constructed of two carpels. The same 



FIG. 87. 



OVARY AND STYLE OF THE SYCAMORE. 

 From Le Maout and Decaisne. 



figure shows that each half of the ovary is growing out 

 laterally into what ultimately becomes the wing or flying 

 apparatus. 



Finally, as shown in fig. 88, the ovary splits longi- 

 tudinally into a pair of wing-bearing capsules, in each 

 of which one of the ovules has aborted leaving a survivor 

 to develope into a seed. These are the bodies which fall 



