250 



Fig. 539. 



OEGANOGBAPHT. 



Fig. 540. 



Fig. 541. 



Fig. 542. 



Fig. 539. Flower of Orange divested of the corolla, showing its polyadel- 

 phous stamens. Fig. 540. The Pistil, a, of a species of Hiipencum. sur- 

 rounded by the stamens, e, e, which are united by their filaments,/,/. 



Into three bundles. Fig. .541. One of the branched bundles of stamens 



of the Castor Oil Plant (Ricimis communis). /. Filaments. 



be either simple, as in the Mallow (Jig. 535) ; or branched, as in 

 the Milkwort {Jig. 501), and Castor Oil Plant {fig. 541). 



When the union takes place so as to form a 

 tube or column, the term androphore has been 

 applied to the column thus formed, as in the 

 Mallow {fig. 535), and Wood Sorrel {fig. 536). 

 4. Relative Length.- — There are two separate 

 subjects to be treated of here, namely, 1st, the 

 relative length of the stamens with respect 

 to the corolla; and 2nd, their length with 

 respect to one another. In the first place, when 

 the stamens are shorter than the tube of the 

 corolla so as to be enclosed within it, as in the 

 Forget-me-not {Myosotis) {fig. 494), they are 

 said to be inchid(d\ and when the stamens 

 are longer than the tube of the corolla so as to 

 extend beyond it, as in the Valerian {fig. 542), 

 they are said to be exsertcd or protruding. 

 The relative length of the stamens with 

 Fig. 543. Flower of respect to one another presents several peculi- 



Valerian, showing .[. /. i • i ■ ,. i. • j 



the stamens pro- arities, SOme 01 whlCh are important in de- 

 longed beyond the scriptive botany. Sometimes, all the stamens 

 tube of the co- ^ -^ i /• ^i ^ .^ 



roiia, or exserted. 01 the flower are nearly oi the same length. 

 The coroiia^sgib- .,;,^j-^j|g ^^ other times they are very unequal. 

 This inequality may be altogether irregular 

 again, following no definite rule ; or take place in a definite and 

 regular manner. When the flowers are polystemenous, the sta- 

 mens nearest the centre may be longer than those at the cir- 

 cumference, as in Luhea paniculata {fig. 543); or the reverse 

 may be the case, as in many of the Rosacese. In the case of 



