282 VIOLACE^. [part ii. 



pistil consists of a large ovary, full of ovules, 

 with a narrow style, which is drawn out into 

 the hollow globular termination which is seen 

 through the triangular opening in the flower. 

 The globe has an opening in front, under which 

 is a kind of lip, which looks like a shutter let 

 down to show the opening ; and though, from 

 its thick fleshy nature, it looks like a stigma, it 

 is only the outer covering of that organ, for the 

 stigma lies within the opening. In this manner 

 the stigma and anthers are completely concealed ; 

 and thus it will be seen, that nothing can be 

 more complex and intricate than the construc- 

 tion of the flowers of the Heartsease. 



Who could suppose that all these elaborate 

 details would be necessary to illustrate so sim- 

 ple a flower as that of the Violet 1 And yet the 

 construction of the flowers of the Violet and 

 those of the Heartsease are essentially the same. 

 The sepals of the Violet are extended at the 

 base, like those of the Heartsease, and the 

 corolla consists of the same number of petals, 

 which are equally irregular in their form, 

 though not in their colour ; the lower petal is 

 drawn out, in the same manner, into a spur, 

 which is much longer than that of the Hearts- 

 ease, though the rest of the flower is smaller. 

 The stamens are formed with the same regular 

 irregularity, only the tails of the two irregular 



