184f Dr. Sclileiden oji the Development of the 



and lie loosely imbedded in the mucus, as for instance in the 

 Orchidcce^ many Liliacea^, &c. 



These are then the important points from which nature does 

 not deviate in the vegetable organization, whilst she manifests 

 the greatest possible variety in regard to the external differ- 

 ences of form. The form of the stigma exhibits the most 

 wonderful variations of shape, and upon this account has been 

 of all parts that most frequently misunderstood. The style 

 also, and even the carpel-leaf, offer many varieties, especially 

 the latter, from the formation of spurious septa by cellular ex- 

 crescences, as in the Aroidecc. We find further that the car- 

 pel leaf in the Coniferce is not closed ; in the Resedacece three 

 are united to form one open basin, strictly closed in most 

 families, frequently bent inwards towards the axis, and then 

 turned backwards again, so that the placental portion forms 

 a belly, and the style ajypears to spring from the base, where 

 the transitions of development may be studied, beginning 

 with the Euphorbiacece^ through the Phytolacece, Alismacece 

 as far as the Borraginecc^ and Labiatce^ and lastly in the en- 

 tire family of the Dryadece, The young ovarium in the La- 

 biatce andBorraginecr, for instance, is usually a two-leaved car- 

 pel (fig. 2), whose edges however are very soon joined to form 

 the style; and by the development of the ovulum the part 

 inclosing it becomes expanded both above and below, whilst 

 the style, the upper end of the leaf, is incapable of this eleva- 

 tion and distention. The fruit of the palm presents a very 

 similar appearance, in which the embryo stands at first erect 

 soon after impregnation has taken place ; as the seed however 

 advances to maturity, the inner side of the ovarium does not 

 enlarge with it : thus the point of the embryo becomes fixed 

 and serves as a central point, about which the radicula de- 

 scribes a quadrant, to which figure it is limited by its partial 

 development : in this manner is formed the embryo horizon- 

 talis lateralis. There has been a great deal of time lost in 

 the discussion of such apparent abnormalities, which would 

 not have been the case had surmise not taken the precedence 

 of investigation. 



If wenowturn to the placenta and ovulum, and, which will be 

 the most advantageous course to pursue, commence with the 

 simplest form, we shall select that where no carpellary leaf is 

 present, which is without doubt the one of all others that pre- 

 sents the most insurmountable difficulties if attempted to be 

 explained according to the usual theory. This state is found 

 in Taxus, for instance, where the entire female flower is no- 

 thing else than the terminal leaf-bud of the axis to which it 



