PISTILS.STAMENS. 



far from being the most apparent to the eye. These organs are 

 of two kinds ; one kind is destined to produce the ovules or 

 germs, and the other to cause their fecundation ; the first bears, 

 the name of pistil, and the second is called stamen. 



38. Most flowers are provided both with a pistil, and with 

 stamens, and consequently possess all the organs necessary for 



the production and fecundation of germs ; 

 they are distinguished by the name of her- 

 maphrodite flowers. Others, on the con- 

 trary, either possess only stamens (Jig> 97) 

 or a pislil alone (fig> 98), and are named 

 unisexual; the plants that bear these in- 

 complete flowers are termed monaeceous 

 (from the Greek, monos, single, and oikos, 

 a house), when the two kinds of flowers, 

 those with pistils, and those with stamens, 

 are developed on the same plant; but when 

 these different flowers grow on separate plants, some 

 producing flowers with stamens, and others bearing 

 flowers with pistils only, they are named di.wr.cous 

 (from the Greek, dis, two, and oikos, house). Those which have 

 flowers provided with all the organs are named polygamous plants. 



39. Stamens. Thesla- f e d 

 mens are situate between 



the corolla (d) and the pis- 

 til (/) (fig. 99, e] ; they 

 are generally in form of 

 filaments (threads), and in 

 no manner resemble the 

 leaves in their use; never- 

 theless, they may be con- 

 sidered as analogous to 

 leaves, because, under cer- 

 tain circumstances, they are changed into petals. In double 

 flowers, for example, it is by the stamens being changed into 

 petals that the corolla, in place of being simple, as in the natural 

 or uncultivated state, presents a greater or less number of whorls. 



Fig. 98. 



PISTIL,. 



Fig. 99. 



Explanation of Fig. 97. Represents (enlarged) one of the male flowers 

 of a fig tree, isolated ; it has three stamens, each one crowned by an 

 anther. 



Fig. 98. Represents (enlarged) one of the female flowers of the fig tree, 

 separated ; it shows a pistil. 



38. What are monoeceous flowers ? What are dioeceous flowers ? What 

 are polygamous flowers ? 



39. Where are the stamens situated ? How are stamens analogous to 

 leaves? What are double flowers ? 



16* 



