than the pericarps, serving to protect the seeds till 

 ripe. 



The Seed is that part of every plant by which it is 

 propagated. The part of the seed which contains the future 

 plant is the germen, vulgarly called the eye, no seed being 

 capable of vegetation, if this be defective. The Anthera, 

 or apex of the stamen, is provided with a fine dust, called 

 the pollen, which, falling on the gummy matter at the top 

 of the pistillum, or pistil, is there absorbed, and carried 

 down into the germen, or seed-vessel, where the seed is 

 perfected and made capable of reproducing the plant. 



The Receptacle is the seventh part of fructification, 

 distinguished by Linnaeus; being the common basis, or 

 point of connection, of the others. It is not always dis- 

 tinguished by any particular figure. In simple flowers, it 

 is, often, little more than a point : in compound flowers, it 

 is very remarkable, and important, serving, by its differ- 

 ences of structure, to afford very good generic distinctions. 



The receptacle of the fructification is common both to 

 the flower and the fruit, or it embraces the corol and the 

 germ. 



A proper receptacle belongs to one fructification only ; 

 a common receptacle connects several florets, or distinct 

 fructifications. 



In some plants the receptacle undergoes great changes, 

 acquiring a different texture in the fruit, from what it had 

 in the flower. Thus, the whole fruit, as we call it, of the 

 Fig, is a common receptacle, at first coriaceous, (resembling 

 leather, or tough,) and, like the rest of the plant, contain, 

 ing a milky acrid juice. It forms a bag, lined with florets, 

 or small flowers, and having a small aperture at the top ; 

 after the flowers are past, this bag becomes pulpy, colour- 

 ed, and full of sweet aromatic juice. So the fruit of the 

 Strawberry is, originally, a small, dry receptacle, subse- 

 quently enlarged, and become pulpy, whose outside is 

 studded with naked seeds. 



The Receptacle of the flower, in Linntean language, 

 means the area, or space between the stamens and styles, 

 in certain genera whose germen is inferior ; as the whole 

 umbelliferous order, Hemlock, Parsley, &c. in which the 

 part in question is more or less tumid, often coloured, and 

 assumes a glandular aspect. 



According to another definition, the Receptacle of the 

 flower, is the base to which the parts of the flower, exclu- 

 sive of the germen, are fixed. 



Nectary, or honey -cup, is that part of the flower, from 

 which bees, and other insects, extract the honey ; a fluid 

 found almost universally in flowers. 



The shape and structure of the nectarium, or nectary, 

 is extremely various ; but commonly uniform in flowers of 

 the same genus ; very frequently, indeed, supplying the 

 most clear and decisive marks, by which one genus is 

 distinguished from another. 



In the Crown Imperial, the nectary is a mere cup, or 

 depression ; in the Lily, a bordered furrow in the claw of 

 each petal ; in the Violet, the base of one petal is elongated 

 into a spur, or bag, containing the honey ; in the Nastur- 

 tium, the nectariferous spur is an elongation of the calyx. 



In the Epimedium, or Sarron-wort, the nectary is of 

 the nature and texture of petals, but perfectly distinct 

 from them, as well as from the calyx ; while, in the Lark- 

 spur, and Columbine, there are nectaries more or less 

 agreeing with their petals, but no calyx. Hence, some 

 botanists reckon their petals, though coloured, the calyx, 

 and their nectaries the only corolla. The neighbouring 

 genus Ranunculus, whose nectaries are pores in the claws 

 of its petals, certainly gives weight to such a determina- 

 tion. 



Some flowers display an elaborate apparatus, which 

 cannot be demonstrated to have any concern in the secret- 

 ing, or holding the honey. Such are the five green bodies, 

 fringed with bristles, each of which bears a globe, in the 

 elegant Parnassia, or Grass of Parnassus. These, not 

 being referable to any other of the usual parts of fructifica- 

 tion, all of which are present besides, are, by analogy, pre- 

 sumed to be nectaries. 



The numerous and complex rays which decorate the 

 Passion Jlower, are equally inexplicable in their nature. 

 But they crown the cell where the copious honey is lodged, 

 while their cellular texture, and vivid variegation of colour, 

 indicate their connection with air and light, two great 

 probable agents in the secretion of that saccharine fluid ; 

 nor does it appear at all improbable, that they share in its 

 elaboration. In other cases, the richly coloured petals of 

 flowers possibly answer the same end. 



ARRANGEMENT OF FLOWERS. 



Flowers are arranged into Classes, Orders, Genera, and 

 Species. 



