258 



THE STRUCTURE OF FLOWERS. 



growing garden plants (b). The stamens are five or less in 

 number, having spoon-shaped connectives, and not pointed 

 as in the normal form, bearing very minute oval anther-cells 

 at the base (c, g) * Small bundles of pollen-tubes may be 

 traced from the anthers into the stigma (g). The pistil has 

 a short curved style, and truncated stigma (d) concealed 

 beneath the anthers which lie imbricated over the top of 

 the pistil. The anthers are usually devoid of appendages, 

 though they are sometimes present, like the spur ; though 



Fig. 56.— Cleistogamous Violets, (For description, see text.) 



both organs are now useless. As the ovary swells it raises 

 the stamens up with it (e). The capsules of the violet, Mr. 

 Darwin observes, bury themselves in the soil, if it be loose 

 enough, and there ripen ; but they certainly are very, if not 

 more frequently not buried at all, but only concealed beneath 

 the foliage. 



As another interesting case of a plant showing transi- 

 tional conditions may be mentioned Scrophularia arguta, 

 Ait.f " The two lowermost opposite and axillary branches 

 bend backwards and penetrate the soil. The next pair do 



* (c) V, odorata; (g) V. canina. t Bull. Soc. Bot. de Fr., iii., p. 569. 



