164 On the Composifce. 



its contents, continues to enlarge, to form the fruit which consists 

 when ripe of the Pericarp or seed-vessel, i. e., the matured carpel, 

 and the seed or matured ovule. Whenever, therefore, the remains 

 of the stigma or style can be detected, no matter what may be the 

 shape or the appearance of the organ, the part in question must be 

 a Pericarp, and not a seed — because having had a stigma it must 

 have a carpellary covering, and, consequently the contained ovum 

 or seed cannot be naked. Now in the CompositDO the pistil pt)s- 

 sesses a true style and stigma, consequently the matured germen is 

 not a naked seed but a true fruit, the outer membrane of which 

 instead of being considered the coat of the seed, is really the Peri- 

 carp or seed vessel. We have now to consider the true nature of 

 what Linnsean Botanists call the common calyx, the Eeeeptacle, 

 the Paleoe or chaff, and the Pappus or seed-down. The opinion of 

 Linu8Gus that the Calyx was the production of the " cortical Epi- 

 dermis," or outer bark, and that the Corolla proceeded from the 

 inner bark or "liber" (Philosophia Botanica, p. 56.) is so entirely 

 at variance with the known structure of plants, that it merits no 

 further notice. Neither is the texture or colour of the floral envel- 

 opes of more value in determining the nature of the part which 

 may be present ; e. g., in the Fuschia the calyx is of a brilliant 

 crimson and is therefore not " less coloured than the Corolla," 

 which is the Linnaean distinguishing character (Phil. Bot.) It is 

 evident therefore that the question can only be determined by 

 observing the situation or relation which the part bears to others 

 in its vicinity. Bearing this principle in mind, we find that the 

 separate parts of a plant are disposed in a spiral manner around a 

 central axis, which if it be shortened so that the parts may be 

 arranged on a common plane, they must necessarily be disposed in 

 whorls, alternating with each other. The structure of the several 

 parts of a flower, and the alterations to which they are occasionally 

 subject, prove that the closest analogy exists between them and 

 the ordinary leaves, in fact they may be considered to be leaves in 

 various states of modification. Thus the outer or lower whorl from 

 which the flower rises, being leaves but little altered in shape and 

 appearance, constitute the Bractea3 or floral leaves. The next 



