XXX INTRODUCTION, 



and left with respect to the common axis of inflorescence, it is never 

 truly present; while in Scrophularinese and their allies, the pericar- 

 pial leaves of which are anterior and posterior, it is as uniformly 

 present in one shape or other. 



The last modification of leaves in the fructification consists in 

 their conversion into what is called the female organ, or Ovarium; 

 that is to say, into the case which contains the young seeds or ovules. 

 Now that the structure of this part is well understood, we know that 

 an ovarium either consists of one or several connected pericarpial 

 leaves, called cai-pella, arranged around a common axis, or of several 

 combined into a single body. Upon this difference the distinction 

 depends of what I call apocarpous ovaria, or those of which the 

 carpella are distinct ; and syncarpous are those of which the carpella 

 are compactly combined. These differences appear to me of much 

 importance, and subject to as few exceptions as any modifications 

 that botanists make use of. Thus Berberideai are distinguished 

 from Papaveraceae, Nelumboneae from Nymphsacese, Amyridese from 

 Burseraceae, Boraginese from Ehretiaceae, and the like. But, at the 

 same time, it will be seen that cases exist of both forms being found 

 in the same natural order, as Xanthoxylese. This, however, is rare. — 

 The cohesion of the ovarium with the calyx, or its separation from it, 

 has been already treated of in speaking of the calyx. — An ovarium 

 may be either one-celled, in consequence of its consisting of a single 

 carpellum, in which case it will belong to the apocarpous division ; 

 or it may consist of several carpella strictly cohering, and therefore 

 syncarpous, but nevertheless one-celled, in consequence of the oblitera- 

 tion of the dissepiments. Peculiarities of this latter nature are 

 almost always of ordinal importance, at least if the placetitcB are 

 parietal ; for instance, the latter is the structure of Papaveracea;, 

 Homalineaj, Flacourtiaceee, Cucurbitaceffi, Papayacai, and Violaceae, 

 to which there is no exception ; but Caryophylleaj and Bruniacea^, 

 the usual structure of which is to be one-celled, have the placentae 

 in the centre; and in both these orders there are genera, the ovarium 

 of which contains several cells. — Another point that deserves par- 

 ticular attention is the relation borne to the axis of inflorescence by 

 the pericarpial leaves, of which an ovarium is formed. What the 

 exact value of this character may be, is not yet known ; but it is 

 certain that Gentianeaj and their allies have their principal leaves 

 right and left of the axis, while Scrophularineai and their allies, 

 which are sometimes to be distinguished with dilHculty, have the 

 pericarpial leaves anterior and posterior with respect to the axis. 

 Rosacea; and Leguminosa;difl"er in a nearly similar way. — Connected 

 with the apocarpous or syncarpous state of the ovarium is the union 

 or separation of the styles, which, therefore, scarcely require distinct 



