SEXES OF PLANTS. 87 



same root in the class Mon&cia and on different flowers from different 

 roots in Ditzcia. 



Stamens take various positions in regard to the pistils, without how- 

 ever varying much in the same family of plants. When inserted upon 

 the pistil, as in umbeliferous plants, they are epigynous ; when under 

 the germ, as with cruciform plants, they are hypogynous and when 

 inserted on the calyx and around the germ they are perigynous. Sta- 

 mens are commonly double, equal, or half the number of divisions of 

 the carolla in monopetalous flowers, though never more than 20 ; but, in 

 the polypetalous flowers they may be greater. Stamens alternate with 

 z J^ these divisions of the corolla when equal in number; when double 

 those divisions, half are in the intervals of the divisions and the 

 other half are before the lobes of the carolla. Those stamens, 

 found without anthers, or barren, are generally before these lobes. 

 In the cut, a is the anther and b the filament. 



Filaments are parts of the stamens. They are long and slender, as 

 in pink, or short and thick, as in the tulip, are commonly smooth, but 

 sometimes bearded, as in mullein and downy, as in spider wort. A 

 filament commonly supports one other, but sometimes two or more. 

 When enclosed in the tube of the corolla they are inserted, but when 

 out of it they are exserted. When the filament is wanting the anther 

 is sessile or sitting in the throat of the flower. The stamens change 

 to petals in double flowers, or disappear, as the result of cultivation, and 

 the anther also. No perfect fruit is produced when the stamens disap- 

 pear. 



The Anther is a small knob on the top of the filament, having cells 

 in which is the powder pollen. 



Pistils are upright stems varying in number, like stamens, in differ- 

 ent plants. They consist of 3 parts, the germ or ovary, the style and 

 <^ stygma. In the cut, a is the germ, b the style, and c the stigma. 

 j j The germ is at the base of the style or column : it is the seed 

 / vessel in which are the ovules, or young seeds. The germ is 

 I superior when above the calyx, as with the strawberry, and in- 

 * 'f ferior when below it, as in the apple. Its form is round, cordate 

 or angled. The style is the upright part or stem of the pistil. The 

 stigma is the sximmit of the style ; but, if the style is 

 wanting, it is sessile or sits upon the germ, as in the tulip. 

 It is of different forms, is downy and is moistened with a 

 thick fluid to catch the polen from the anther and con- 

 vey it through the style to the ovary, or germ. The cut 

 shows the central pistil and surrounding stamens. 



The pollen is a yellow dust, or farina, given out in granules by the 

 bursting of the anther at a particular period. Each particle is an 

 organized body, as may be seen with a glass, when it is placed on the 



