On the Pollen o/Floivers. 59 



But it is not aiiUiers and pollen alone that form this neces- 

 sary conjunction. The filament is of" no little consequence : the 

 thread which shoots from the anther after that is filled with 

 pollen (thin as it is) must be perfectly hollow the whole way, 

 fig. 9 a a, and fig. 9; for so entirely does every mgredient, every 

 nutriment, proceed from the root, that all nnist have free ac- 

 cess to that part which apertains to it, and is intended to rise 

 to its surface, — the upper part of the flower and the pistil. The 

 anthers are and may be described as little bags of exquisite 

 workmanship, each sac/c divided into two or tour partitions,^ 

 but always extremely filled by the pollen : when developed, 

 the opening of these cases is most curiously managed with 

 an art and cleverness nature alone can produce; since the 

 more they are magnified the more beautiful they appear, which 

 is never the case with the works of art. Some of the anthers 

 open at the end, fig. 9 cc ; some all the way down the side, 

 fig. 9 bb. Some, still more extraordinary, are circular with a 

 bar between each pollen ball, in order to ensure a passage 

 thoroughly free through each part, when the filaments that 

 serve as a foot-stalk to the anthers should possess a free com- 

 munication. When the filaments that support them grow, 

 they are formed perfectly hollow, that the dust may be changed 

 should the moisture injure it. Sometimes the threads enlarge 

 near the bottom to admit a ii^ctary ; at other times above. It 

 is generally contrived with excessive art, as in the Antirrhinum^ 

 where the stalk is twisted into a spiral before it joins the 

 anther. This would ajipear to prevent the passage of the pol- 

 len ; but I have exactly watched the flower ; this spiral does 

 not show itself till after the anther is completely stuffed with 

 pollen: some anthers are formed like a divided heart, fig. 10 tc ; 

 some resemble a flower, d d. If communication were not ne- 

 cessary between the flower, and thus down to the root, there 

 wouhl have been no occasion for a cylinder reaching through 

 the filament; whereas in the many thousaticls I have dissected 

 I never found this part missing, and very often full of pollen : 

 then the anthers liave a hair peculiar to themselves whicli al- 

 most always conveys a coloured juice : progressive dissection 

 soon proves these important truths, and unites ihem ail, and 

 gives a further insight into botanical natinv, than ycius ol more 

 tU'sultory studies on the same subject. Indeed it is the only way 

 of becoming really acquainted with the interior of a tree. 



To understancl the stamen peifectly, there needs only to 

 ilissect a Di(K;cious tree or plant; there needs only t(» follow 

 the picture the year round, as I have done, and see that pass 

 icilhin the trie, which is afurwards display«il nithouf. In tlie 

 Willow it is so entirely dividfd, the muli'J'ruiu the /ciiiatr, thai it 

 a 2 is 



