108 REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS. CHAP. III. 



and structure from the petals, exhibit however 

 strong indications of being nearly allied to them, 

 and seem in some cases, as in the flower of Nym- 

 ph&a alba, to run mutually into one another, the 

 inner petals being partly stamen, or the outer 

 stamens being partly petals. But in many flowers, 

 particularly the polypetalous, the stamens are entirely 

 convertible into distinct petals, and are often so 

 converted either in part or in whole. In the former 

 case the flower is said to be double ; in the latter 

 case it is said to be full. But this singular conver- 

 sion of stamens into petals is regarded by the phy- 

 tologist as being altogether an aberration from the 

 laws of vegetable economy, and is found to occur 

 but seldom, except in consequence of culture. The 

 Anemone, Ranunculus, and Rose, when cultivated 

 in our gardens, afford examples of the flowers of this 

 description. They are more showy indeed and 

 more generally admired than the flower in its natural 

 state, and are consequently the object of the 

 peculiar care of the florist ; but they are regarded by 

 the botanist as being only vegetable monsters. 

 Division Such is the general character of the stamens con- 

 sidered as individual organs ; but from the definition 

 of them that has been already given they are ob- 

 viously divisible into two distinct parts the thread- 

 shaped or lower portion, and the bag or viscus by 

 which it is surmounted. The former is by botanists 

 denominated the Filament, the latter is denominated 

 the Anther ; of which two parts the anther only 



