GYNANDRIA 357 



ContorU have long been thought to belong to Gynan^ 

 dria ; see Pergiilaria, Ic. Pict. t. 16, and Ajider. Re- 

 pos. t. 184. In this genus, as well as Cynanchum 

 and Asclepias, the pollen is borne in 5 pair of glutin- 

 ous masses, exactly like the pollen of Orchide^, by 5 

 glands upon the stigma. Some obscurity arises from 

 each mass of pollen being received into a bag or cell, 

 formed by a peculiar valvular apparatus that encircles 

 the organs of impregnation, and bears a great resem- 

 blance to stamens. The pollen however is, in the 

 above genera, not attached to these cells or valves, but 

 to the 5 glands, each of which is double, and all of 

 them seated on that thick abrupt angular body which 

 acts as a stigma*. Nor is it worth while to dispute 

 whether this whole body be a stigma or not, with re- 

 gard to the question under consideration, for it is 

 borne by the styles, above the germen, and itself bears 

 the anthers. I humbly conceive, however, with Lin- 

 nreusand Jacquin, that as part of it, at least, receives 

 the pollen, stigma is full as good a name for this body 

 as Haller's term dolium, a tub ! Still less is it worth 

 while to controvert with Kolreuter the propriety of 

 the term pollen, because the substance in question is 

 not actually a dry powder, any more than in the Or^ 

 chis tribe, or in Mirabilis, Exot. Bot. t. 23. That 

 term is technically used for the matter which renders 

 the seeds fertile, including its vehicle, whether the 



* Mr. R. Bi-own believes the cells secrete the pollen, and pro- 

 ject it on the stigma, as the pollen of some Orchidex stick to 

 any part of the plant. If so, these plants must remain in Pen- 



