ig6 THE REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 



outer and three inner perianth-leaves united into a tube, 

 an outgrowth from which forms a large bell-shaped corona 

 (Fig. 134, co). Interesting modifications of this may be seen 

 in different species of Narcissus ; in some the corona is in 

 the form of a small, brightly-coloured ring, and gradations 

 may be found from this up to the large corona of the 

 Daffodil. The six stamens, in two whorls of three, are 

 attached to the perianth. The pistil, however, differs from 

 that of the Bluebell, in that the ovary is inferior. The style 

 is long, reaching to the mouth of the tube, and has three 

 stigma-lobes. The pistil consists of three carpels and the 

 ovarj' is three-celled, with axile placentation. The bract 

 of the Daffodil is in the form of a dry membraneous sheath 

 or spathe (sp). 



Examine flowering specimens of the Crocus, and note, 

 when closed flowers are brought into a warm room, how 

 quickly they open, the lobes often becoming strongly 

 reflexed. The flowers and leaves are surrounded by 

 colourless sheaths, which keep together and protect the 

 inner parts while they are growing through the soil. Re- 

 move the sheaths, and note how limp and slender are the 

 organs within, and how dependent they are upon the 

 support of the sheathing cylinders. An interesting example 

 of division of labour is thus afforded. Note the scale-leaf 

 in the axil of which this flowering shoot arises, and observe 

 that the base is already enlarging. Thus we see a young 

 corm forming as a branch upon the old one (Fig. 135). 



Remove the foliage-leaves and note their mode of attach- 

 ment (see p. 133 and Fig. 84). The flower is surrounded by a 

 thin, colourless sheath (Fig. 135, sh), and is supported on an 

 under-ground cylindrical stalk the scape (sc). The perianth- 

 leaves are in two whorls of three each, and are united to form 

 a narrow tube three to four inches long. There are three 

 stamens fixed to the top of the tube ; the large arrowhead- 

 shaped anthers (a) dehisce outwards (extrorse dehiscence), 



