OtJtLlttES Of BOTANt. 



ovary ; either closing over the ovary BO as only to leave a passage for thf 

 style, or leaving more or less of the top of the ovary free, but always ad- 

 hering to it above the level of the insertion of the lowest ovule (except in 

 a very few cases where the ovules are sbsolutely suspended from the top of 

 the cell). In epigynous flowers the ovnry is described as adherent or inferior, 

 the calyx as adherent or superior, the petals as inserted on or above the 

 ovary. In some works, however, most epigynous flowers are included in 

 the perigynous ones, and a very different meaning is given to the term 

 tpigynous (144), and there are a few cases were no positive distinction can 

 be drawn between the epigynous and perigynous flowers, or again between 

 the perigynous and hypogynous flowers. 



141. When there are no petals, it is the insertion of the stamens that 

 determines the difference between the hypogynous, perigynous, and epigy- 

 nous flowers. 



142. When there are both petals and stamens, 



in hypogynous flowers, the petals and stamens are usually free from 

 each other, but sometimes they are combined at the base. In that case, it 

 the petals are distinct from each other, and the stamens are monadelphous, 

 the petals are often said to be inserted on or combined with the staminal 

 tube; if the corolla is gamopetalous and the stamens distinct from each 

 other, the latter are said to be inserted in the tube of th* wrolla. 



in perigynous flowers, the stamens are usually inserted immediately 

 within the petals, or alternating with them on the edge of the disk, but 

 occasionally much lower down within the disk, or even on the unenlarged 

 part of the receptacle. 



in epigynous flowers, when the petals are distinct, the stamens are usu- 

 ally inserted as in perigynous flowers ; when the corolla is gamopetalous, 

 the stamens are either free and hypogynous, or combined at the base with 

 (inserted in) the tube of the corolla. 



143. When the receptacle is distinctly elongated below the ovary, it ia 

 often called a gynobasis, gynophore, or stalk of the ovary. If the elonga- 

 tion takes place below the stamens or below the petals, these stamens or 

 petals are then said to be inserted on the stalk of the ovary, and are occa- 

 sionally, but falsely, described as epigynous. Really epfgynous stamens (i. . 

 when the filaments are combined with the ovary) are very rare, unless the 

 rest of the flower is epigynous. 



144. An epigynous disk is a name given either to the thickened summit 

 of the ovary in epigynous flowers, or very rarely to a real disk or enlarge- 

 ment of the receptacle closing over the ovary. 



145. In the relative position of any two or more parts of the flower, 

 whether in the same or in different whorls, they are 



eonnioent, when nearer together at the summit than at the base. 



divergent, when further apart at the summit than at the base. 



coherent, when united together, but so slightly that they can be sepa- 

 rated with little or no laceration ; and one of the two coherent parts (usu- 

 ally the smallest or least important) is said to be adherent to the other. 

 Grammatically speaking, these two terms convey nearly the same meaning, 

 but require a different form of phrase ; practically, however, it has been 

 round more convenient to restrict cohesion to the union of parts of the same 

 whorl, and. adhesion to the union of parts of different whorls. 



connate, when so closely united that they cannot be separated with- 

 wt laceration. Each of the two connate parts, and especially that one 



