THE PRINCIPLE OF COHESION. 69 



ovary-cells developed. When this is the case, the cords of 

 the centre become fused into four or three (2 -j- 2 -f 1) (e), 

 and take up a position alternating with the ovarj-cells. 

 They become even more welded together higher up ; but they 

 separate again, to form twice as many as there are ovary- 

 cells (/). If there be three, then each cord may bifurcate, 

 though they do not all do so in every instance ; so that out of 

 12 cords, three ovular cords are given off to nourish the ovules 

 (/), and the rest run up the styles, though the total number 

 of cords may be less than 12, as variations seem to take place. 



The ground tissue consists of a loose merenchyma, except- 

 ing three or four layers of cells below the epidermis, which 

 are more compact ; the ovaiy-cells — seemingly reduced to a 

 thickened epidermal layer only — are plunged freely into 

 this tissue (e). The cords run up the centre perfectly 

 independent of the ovary-cells (e) with their spiral vessels 

 on the inside, surrounding a central medulla. Were it not 

 for the presence of the dorsal cord, there is nothing to hinder 

 one from calling them axial. It is not until they reach the 

 top of the ovary-cells that these cords bifurcate and send off 

 one branch each into the pendulous ovules, the other branches 

 being conveyed upwards into the styles (/). 



The above description will give a fair example of the 

 distribution of the cords for supplying the several members 

 of the whorls. The reader can estimate how far the central 

 cylinder should be called axial. The fact is, that the whole 

 of the tissue of the carpels, excepting the thickened internal 

 epidermis covering the ovules, is totally lost in the general 

 spongy mass in which they are imbedded. But since the 

 petaline cord gives rise to the small dorsal-carpellary and 

 one axial, theoretically these two belong to the carpellary 

 leaf ; and on this ground we should feel inclined to regard 

 the central cords not as axial but marginal and carpellary, 



