52 SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERING PLANTS, 



of the chamber. This always occurs in Composites, 

 and also in Polyg'onum (Fig. 4). 



In most flowers, as of Felargo'nium, the carpels are 

 united and already closed up, like unopened pea-pods, 

 being coherent side by side ; so that the rows (of two 

 in each) now stand in the middle (Fig. 12, III). 



Adhesion. — The second change is seen when one 

 whorl is united to another and a different whorl, in 

 which case they are said to adhere. Thus the stamens 

 of StriUh'iola {Thymelacece), or of Leucospe7''muvi 

 {Proteacece)} appear to grow upon the inside of the 

 tube of the calyx. They really arise from the stalk 

 or receptacle, but the filaments are adherent in various 

 degrees from bottom to top of the sepals by their 

 filaments. 



The almost universal condition prevails of the 

 stamens being adherent to the corolla whenever this 

 whorl has its parts coherent, as in all Composites, 

 Convol'vuhis, and the potato blossom. Heaths and 

 Boel'la (Fig. 11, IV.), however, represent two families 

 in which the stamens are quite free from the corolla. 



Receptacular Tube. — The third peculiarity among 

 the changes of structure in flowers resides in a peculiar 

 growth of the receptacle. This end of the flower-stalk 

 is often or generally enlarged, as in Banun'culus, and 

 very much so in a strawberry ; for the receptacle of 

 this fruit swells into a great rounded mass, and carries 

 * See under these orders for figures. 



