208 



PRACTICAL COURSE IN BOTANY 



297 



298 



veined? If the flowers are clustered, what is the order of 

 inflorescence? Does the position of the flowers on their 



branch correspond to that of 

 the leaf axils on the same 

 kind of plant ? 



227. The stamens. Re- 

 move the petals from a flower 

 and examine the stamens 

 with a lens. Notice the at- 

 tachment and shape of the 

 anthers. Are they all of the 

 same color? How do you 

 account for the difference, if 

 there is any? Is the posi- 

 tion of the pistil and stamens 

 such that the pollen from 

 the anthers can readily reach 

 the stigmas without external 

 aid? Examine the pistil in 

 flowers of different ages, and 

 see if the stigma is mature (that is, moist and sticky) at the 

 same time that the anthers are discharging their pollen. 

 Make an enlarged sketch of a stamen showing the shape of 

 the anther and the method of opening to discharge pollen. 

 228. The pistils. How many pistils do you find in the 

 apple blossom (or other flower under examination) ? Are they 

 distinct, or united ? Find where the styles originate ; what 

 do you see there ? Make a cross section of the ovary and 

 count the locules ; how does their number compare with 

 that of the styles ? Can you make out the number of ovules 

 in each ? If not, use a young fruit ; as it is only an enlarged 

 ovary, it will show the parts correctly. Compare it with a 

 ripe fruit and see if all the ovules matured. Can you think 

 of any reasons why some of them might fail? Do you see 

 any signs of nourishment stored in the ovary? Name all 

 the ways you can think of in which the ovary can benefit the 



299 300 



FIGS. 297-300. Flower and sections 

 of pear : 297, cluster of blossoms, showing 

 inflorescence; 298, vertical section of a 

 flower ; 299, ground plan of a flower ; 300, 

 vertical section of fruit. 





