ORGANS OF REPROBUCTION. 



Fig. 382. 

 Fig. 381. 



193 



Fig. 381. Receptacle of Chamo- 

 mile {Anthemis nobilis) bearing 

 flowers and bracts, which are 

 sometimes termed i^a/efe. The 

 receptacle is here drawn much 

 too large at tlie apex, it should 



be conical Fig. 382. Locusta 



or spikelet of the Oat (Avena 

 fativa). gl, gl Gluwes. ps,pL 

 Palece. a. ^wn arising from 

 the dorsum of the outer palea, 

 ps. fs. An abortive flower. 



each flower has two other bracts (Jjg.-3%2,ps,pi), which are 

 commonly called palece; and also frequently at the base of the 

 ovary (Jig. 586, sp), two or more little scales, also of the nature 

 of bracts, which are generally termed squamulce, glumellules, or 

 lodiculce. 



2. The Peduncle or Flower-stalk. — This term.is applied 

 to the stalk of a solitary flower, whether axillary or terminal {figs. 

 371 and 379), or to a floral axis which beai's a number of sessile 

 flowers {figs. 374 and 376), or if the floral axis branches and 

 each branch bears a flower {fig. 399), the main axis is still called 

 a peduncle, and the stalk of each flower a pedicel, or if the axis 

 be still further subdivided, the general name of peduncle {fig.AQl) 

 is applied to the whole, with the exception of the stalks imme- 

 diately supporting the flowers, which are in all cases called pedi- 

 cels. When the floral axis is thus branched, it is better to speak 

 of the main axis as the primary axis {fig. 412, a'), its divisions 

 as the secondary axes a", and their divisions as the tertiary axes 

 a'", &c. 



IJnder certain circumstances peduncles have received special 

 names. Thus, when a peduncle is elongated, and gives off" from 

 its sides sessile flowers {fig. 391), or branches bearing flowers 

 {fig. 399), it is called the rachis or axis. When the peduncle 

 instead of being elongated in a longitudinal direction, becomes 

 shortened and dilated more or less horizontally, and bears nu- 

 merous flowers, it is called the receptacle, or by some clinanthium 

 or phoranthium. The receptacle varies in form, sometimes it is 

 o 



