164 BOTANY, 



THE FILAMENT. 



A part which is sometimes deficient or exceedingly short, 

 which is usually cylindrical, rarely flattened, and of a con- 

 sistency and nature analogous with the petals ; it is never 

 green. It is a support of the anther, as the petiole is of the 

 leaf, and the claw is of the petals. 



THE ANTHER. 



This organ may be compared to the limb of the leaf, of 

 which the filament would be the petiole ; this limb, narrow 

 and thick, includes generally two compartments, containing 

 the pollen ; the opening of these compartments is usually in 

 the direction of their length [PL 45, Fig. F], but may be ef- 

 fected in various ways, as Fig. O. 



THE POLLEN 



Is composed of a multitude of little yellow or reddish grains, 

 which generally escape, in the form of dust, from the interior 

 of the compartments, and which, by their fall upon the 

 stigma, and the rupture of their envelope, permit exceedingly 

 small granules, swimming in the midst of a liquid called fo- 

 villa, to introduce themselves within the ovary, there to form, 

 in their development, the germ destined to reproduce the 

 plant, and called on this account the embryo. 



THE CARPELS OR PISTILS. 



The last series of organs as we proceed to the centre of the 

 flower ; composed of leaves more or less folded on the inte- 

 rior side and which bear upon their edges the ovules destined 

 to become seeds. Besides the name of carpels, we also give 

 to these leaves that of pistils, which was formerly applied to 

 the ensemble of the organ, of whatever nature it might be, 

 and now, by preference, to the united carpels, when not very 

 . numerous. The carpels are then considered as compart- 

 ments. A flower without carpels is termed a male flower. 



THE GERMEN 



Or germ is a name given to the tumefied inferior portion 

 of the pistil ; it is the limb of the leaf in its largest part. 

 The ovules are ranged within upon the two edges, which 



