PISTIL. CARPELS. 



81 



moistened, the internal vesicle swells, tears the external mem- 

 brane, and escapes, forming species of tubes of greater or less 

 length. 



49. Pistil. The pistil (figs. 108, 109), or 

 organ that produces the germ, occupies the 

 centre of the flower, and is surrounded by 

 the stamens, by the perianth (figs. 103, 

 110). The portion of the torus or extremity 

 , e of the pedicel where it springs sometimes 

 takes its rise above the origin of other parts 

 of the flower, so as to form for this organ a 

 Fig 108 special support, named a gymnophore (from 

 PISTIL. the Greek, gumnos, naked, and phoreo, I 

 support). The pistil is composed of ap- 

 pendages, named carpels, which are somewhat analogous 

 to leaves, but they are folded inwards, and bear on their %' ^ 9 

 edges the ovules destined to become seeds (fig. 110). 



50. In each carpel we distinguish three 

 parts : the ovary (fig. 110, o), the style (e), 

 and the stigma (d). The ovary occupies its 

 lower part and encloses a cavity or cell (fig* 

 108, e), in which the germs are developed. 

 The style (fig. Ill, c), is a superior pro- 

 longation of the ovary, which is, however, 

 much less, and is often even as slender as a 



. ' c thread ; it varies extremely in length. And 

 ( ~" the stigma (fig. 110, d), is the terminal por- 

 tion of the pistil which surmounts the style ; 

 ^ -a or, when this latter organ is wanting, it rests 

 on the ovary, and is generally composed of a 

 soft and, to appearance, glandular tissue. 



51. The number of carpels varies much; 

 j PISTIL . sometimes there is only one, sometimes two or 



three, or even more, and, as we have seen in 

 the case of sepals and petals, these organs cohere more or less 



Explanation of Fig. 108. Pistil, with the ovary (e) opened. 



Explanation of Fig. 109. Pistil of the jasmine magnified. 



Explanation of Fig. 110. Vertical section of a polypetalous flower, 

 showing the manner in which the androphor sheaths the pistil : a, the 

 calyx ; b, the corolla ; c, the androphor open ; /, the anthers ; d, the 

 stigmas ; e, the styles, the upper portion of which is free and the lower 

 part adherent ; o, the ovaries. 



49. What is the pistil ? Where is it situate ? Of what is it composed ? 

 What is a gymnophore ? 



50. What parts compose a carpel ? (Carpel : from the Greek, karpos, 

 fruit.) What is the ovary ? What is a style? What is the stigma? 



51. Is the number of carpels always the same ? 



