THE: MONOCOTYLEDONS 495 
small, greenish, and inconspicuous, arranged in elongated spikes 
or racemes, trimerous. Sepals 3, usually similar; petals 3 of 
which two often resemble sepals, third is variously, often greatly 
modified and fused with two outer petaloid stamens as a labellum 
or lighting-board for insects. Third stamen of outer whorl 
Fic. 370.—Vanilla planifolia—Branch showing leaves and flowers. (Sayre.) 
fertile (Orchidee@) or a barren knob (Cypripedia); pollen of fertile 
anther agglutinate and forming a pollinium. Three stamens of 
inner circle barren and petaloid or one absent (Cypripedia). 
Stamens all epigynous and often three are fused with the style 
as a gynandrium. Carpels three, syncarpous, with inferior, 3-, 
rarely 4-, 1 (usually)-celled ovary. Fruit a capsule, 3-valved 
and 1-celled. Seeds minute, abundant and wind disseminated. 
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