THE DICTIONARY. OF GARDENING, : 
Ovary- continued. 
that of a leaf, and the arrangement of the veins is 
readily seen to be similar in both. Along the back of 
the pod (dorsal suture) is a large vein, corresponding to 
the midrib of the leaf, and along each half of the 
placenta runs a vein, corresponding to the marginal 
arched veins in leaves, but strengthened to give a 
branch to each ovule. The carpel is seen, in the Pea, to 
be situated nearer the tip of the receptacle than is any 
other part of the flower. The carpels of Actwa (see A, 
Fig. 791), and of Pœonia (see B, Fig. 791), show a very 
similar cross section to the pea-pod. 
The pea-pod may be taken as an excellent example of 
a carpel in which the Ovary is quite typically formed, 
and remains so thronghout its growth; but this simple 
structure of the carpel is widely departed from in various 
ways, and it is necessary to look now at some of the 
less ical forms to ascertain to what extent they 
differ it. 
more, carpels. These may be, as in Pwonia and 
Ranunculus, free from one another down to the base, 
or they may be united to any extent, from near the 
Naas almost, or altogether, to the top of the Ovary, 
and even the styles and stigmas may be completely 
united to each other. The Ovaries may be united only 
by their outer surfaces, each being closed, and remaining 
n cay thet 3 
BERRY, near re the 
edges themselves turned inwards to f. — Pin 
cent. (B) CROSS SECTION OF YOUNG OVARY 0 OF 8 
formed of two Carpels m rages. toe middle, and completely 
united into one mass, with axi Placentæ. 
distinct 8 the rest internally, or they may cpen 
into a central space common to all. The ovules may be 
borne along the edges of the neighbouring Ovaries, 
k either on projecting upright plates, e.g., Poppy, or in 
> rows along the inside of the wall of the Ovary, as in 
~ Gooseberry. In all these cases, it is easy to recognise 
that the compound Ovary is really made up of as many 
simple Ovaries as there are placentæ, and that the 
“eh ~ ovules are borne on the edges of the Ovaries. This 
Fig. 793. THREE CROSS SECTIONS FROM OVARY OF HYPERICUM 
HIRSUTUM, to show transition in the three united Parpala, 
from Placentæ in A to axillary Placentæ in C. 
2 from upper part, B from near — and C from base a 
will be better understood wi a reference to Figs. 792, 
793, and 794. In all fresh Ovaries, cross sections prove 
1. In most plants the pistil is made up of two, or 
Ovary—continued. 
most instructive for study. In the Primrose and its 
allies, there occurs what is known as free-central 
placentation; d.e., the Ovules are borne on a Bead 
FIG. 794. Cross SECTION OF OVARY OF FLOWER OF IRIS, showing 
three Carpels joined at centre into a mass, in which three parts 
are clearly traceable, each formed of two united Placenta, 
each of Which bears an Ovule. 
(placenta), which looks like a direct growth upwards of * 
the receptacle; and the carpels form only a covering to 
the head and ovules, which latter do not adhere 
Fig. 795. CROSS SECTION FROM OVARY OF tar FLOWER. 
The Carpels are completely united, and form a in the 
section, quite separate from the free central mass 5 lacentæ 
on which the Ovules grow. 
to any part of them (see Fig. 795). It is not pos- 
sible here, in the flower, to tell the number of carpels 
that unite to form the Ovary, though the number may 
Fig. 796. CROSS SECTIONS OF OVARY OF RED CAMPION (LYCHNIS 
DIURNA)—A, from Flower, showing five Carpels, joined, as in 
Iris, into a central mass bearing the Placentz, the various 
Carpels of which are indicated by the dark lines ; B, from half- 
grown Ovary, showing central mass g Ovules ‘apparently 
free, as in the Primrose (remains of broken partitions are 
seen; otherwise as in A 
be inferred. In Lychnis (see Fig. 796), and other Caryo- 
phyllew, the structure is almost like that of the Prim- 
rose in the mature flower; but it is possible to trace a x 
connection, at a very early stage, between the placentæ ~ T 
and the carpels; and this connection, and the number of 
carpels, are indicated by lines radiating from the middle 
of the central mass; and the number of rows of ovules 
also indicates the number of carpels. The shape of the 
Ovary, when made up of two or more carpels, usually 
depends on the number that form it, and is best seen 
in a cross section of the Ovary made when fresh. 
2. Care must be taken not to confound, with truly 
compound or united Ovaries, a condition sometimes met 
with —e.9., in Astragalus (see Fig. 797), with a simple 
carpel, and in Flax, with the Ovary composed of several 
united carpels —in which each carpel is divided, or 
nearly so, into two cavities, lengthwise, by a partition, 
