Lecture XXVI. 



233 



two opposite sides. The necks are tapering and obliquely bent. 

 Viewed from one of the flattened sides, the body is unsymmetrical 

 and shows a bulge on one side. This side (abaxial) is turned 

 away from the axis while the neck or style is first bent towards the 

 axis and then turns outwards. The style terminates in a rough 

 surface formed of rounded cells which secrete a sticky fluid. This 

 surface is called the stigma. The swollen body of the flask-shaped 



FIG. 82. Ranunculus repens, young 

 carpel before fertilisation, trans- 

 verse section, x 45. a, conducting 

 tract in mid-rib ; e, embryo-sac in 

 ovule attached by stalk to the mar- 

 gin (m) of the carpel ; o, loculus or 

 cavity of ovary. 



m 



FIG. 83. Ranunculus repens, car- 

 pel, longitudinal section, x 13. 

 a, pollen-grains germinating on 

 stigma (s) ; b, pollen-tubes pass- 

 ing down style (r) ; d, conducting 

 tract in mid-rib of carpel ;/, stalk ; 

 i, integument; m micropyle; n, 

 nucellus of ovule ; 0, cavity, or 

 loculus, of ovary ; p, embryo- 

 sac ; r, style; s, stigma ; x, ovum. 



carpel is called the ovary. A cross section of the ovary shows that 

 it encloses a cavity. The wall of this cavity is a few layers of cells 

 thick and along that side of the ovary, which is turned away from 

 the axis, is seen a ridge or vein in which a conducting tract runs. 

 There is a groove in the inner (adaxial) side of the ovary and on 

 each side of the groove a smaller conducting tract is found. En- 

 closed within the cavity of the ovary and attached to its adaxial 

 side is an egg-shaped body, the ovule. It is attached by a stalk 



