VI l] APOCARPOUS PISTIL 65 



In the vast majority of flowers, cohesion of the carpels 

 plays an extremely important part in the development 

 of the gynoecium. 



In comparatively few cases, especially such as those of 

 the acyclic and hemicyclic flowers of Magnolia, Buttercups 

 (Fig. 15), Barberry (Fig. 17), and their allies, those of the 

 Potentillas, and in a few Monocotyledons such as Water 

 Plantain, Flowering Rush, Arrow-head, &c., the gynoecium 

 consists of a single carpel, or of a number of separately 

 inserted carpels, which are completely free from one 

 another and from any other organs. In such cases the 

 gynoecium, or Pistil as it is often termed, is said to be 

 apocarpous. 



In by far the greater number of cases, however, the 

 crowding of the incipient carpels into a single circle, or 

 whorl, on the shortened axis, brings it about that they 



Fig. 21. Syncarpous ovaries in part cut vertically. D, Ailanthus, the 

 ovary is composed of three carpels, that to the left in section ; the style is 

 cut off short, as are also the stamens at the base of the hypogynous disc. 

 E, Spindle Tree; the ovary is composed of four carpels, one of which, to 

 the right, is in section (E and P). 



cohere at their sides or margins during development ; 

 so that a sort of box, called an Ovary, is formed by them 

 collectively. 



In all these cases where the pistil or gynoecium 



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