244 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



Oil September 9th, my attention was attracted by 

 what at first appeared to be a pistilliferous flower 

 without an inferior germen ; but on examination it 

 was found to be a staminiferous flower with a pe- 

 culiar growth, in fact, under process of becoming 

 " double." 



one time taken for 'the calyx : a reflection of the 

 edge is shown at e. This growth, when opened out 

 so as to be perfectly flat — for which purpose a slit 

 was made up the posterior ridge running from b to 

 c (fig. 150)— presented the appearance shown in 

 fig. 151, which is a front view, a b c being the slit ; at 



Fig. 149. Hermaphrodite flower of Vegetable Marrow. 



The flower as it appeared is shown in fig. 149, 

 which gives the parts in situ : a, is the anther ; 

 c, a growth emanating from the suture at the 

 bottom of the cleft, and which was several times 

 reflected on itself, exhibiting a tendency to become 



Fig. 150. 



Fig. 151. 



separated; d, another growth, which was almost 

 completely severed from the wall of the calyx, 

 being joined thereto only by a production of the 

 epidermis, as shown in fig. 150, at c; ab (fig. 150), 

 is the cut wall of the calyx ; d, a green appendage, 



d was a small portion (inclosed by the dotted line) 

 which to the naked eye appeared as if covered with 

 some viscid fluid, similar to that found on stigmata ; 

 but on examination with a low magnifying power, 

 it appeared as fig. 152, and the apparent fluid was 



Fig. 152. 



shown to be simply pollen-granules; their presence 

 there in such number and in so limited a space 

 being caused by contact with the anther while 

 growing. Hairs were very scarce and small, and 

 were only revealed on microscopical examination : 



