REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF THE CRYPTOGAMIA. 363 
of calyx and corolla, therefore, which have been alluded to 
under their respective heads, will afford good illustrations. The 
stamens of plants belonging to the sub-order Papilionaceze of 
the Leguminos will afford numerous examples of unequal 
union in the staminal whorl ; and other illustrations will be 
found under the heads of the Andrcecium and Gyneecium. 
b. Abnormal Development of the Thalamus or Axis of the 
Flower.—The irregular forms of flowers due to this cause have 
been also alluded to when describing the thalamus. Thus the 
flowers of the species of Neluwmbiwm (fig. 654), Liriodendron 
(fig. 604), Strawberry (jig. 605), Raspberry (jig. 606), Ranwn- 
culus (fig. 542), Rosa (fig. 454), Dianthus (fig. 602), Gynan- 
dropsis (fig. 656), and Geraniwm (fig. 640), will furnish examples 
of this form of irregularity.* 
CHAPTER 5. 
REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS OF THE CRYPTOGAMIA OR FLOWERLESS 
PLANTS. 
THE nutritive organs of the Cryptogamia have been already 
briefly alluded to in the chapter on the General Morphology of 
the Plant, and in our descriptions of the stem, root, leaf, and 
other parts. But their reproductive organs have, at present, 
been only very generally referred to, hence we now proceed to 
describe them as fully as our space will allow. 
The reproductive organs of the Cryptogamia differ widely 
from those of the Phanerogamia ; for, in the first place, they 
have no flowers properly so called—that is to say, they have no 
true andrceecium or gyncecium, the presence of which is essential 
to our notion of a flower ; and hence such plants are termed 
Flowerless. But although these plants have no flowers, and 
therefore no true stamens or carpels, they have organs which 
perform analogous purposes to them, and to which the names of 
Antheridia, Pistillidia, Archegonia, and many others, have been 
apphed. As these organs are, however, more or less concealed or 
obscure, Flowerless plants have been also called Cryptogamous, 
which signifies, literally, concealed sexes. The term asexval, 
which was formerly applied, has now been proved to be generally 
incorrect. 
Secondly, as Cryptogamous plants, or Cryptogams as they 
are commonly called, have no flowers, they do not produce 
true seeds or parts containing a rudimentary plant or embryo ; 
* For full details relating to the General Morphology and Symmetry of 
the Flower, reference may be made to Masters’s ‘Vegetable Teratoloyy,’ 
and to Sachs’s ‘Text Book of Botany.’ 
