206 or THE STAMENS AND ANTHERS. 



recollecting that it is often lodged in spurs or cells 

 quite out of their reach. 



There can be no doubt that the sole use of the 

 honey with respect to the plant is to tempt insects, 

 who in procuring it fertilize the flower, by disturbing 

 the dust of the Stamf^ns, and even carry that substance 

 from the barren to the fertile blossoms. 



3. Stamina. The Stamens, formerly called Chives^ 

 are various in number in different flowers, from one 

 to some hundreds. Their situation is 'mtenml with 

 respect to the parts we have been describing ; c.v- 

 ternalto the Pistils, at least in simple flovrers. 



These organs are essential, there being no plant 

 hitherto discovered, after the most careful research, 

 that is destitute of them, either in the same flower 

 with the pistils, or a separate one of the same 

 species. 



A Stamen, /. \76y commonly consists of two 

 parts, the Filament^ a, Filamentum^ and Anther, b*^ 

 Anthera^ the former being merely what supports the 

 latter, which is the only essential part. Various 

 forms and proportions of Filaments may be seen 

 in the Tulip, where they are six in number, thick 

 and short, Engl. Bot. t. 63 ; the Pink, where they 

 are ten, much more slender, and answering to the 



^ I submit to tlie opinion of Professor Martyn in adopting this 

 word, for the reasons given in his Language of Botany, more espe- 

 cially as general practice seems to favour its use. 



