104 



STAMENS. 



[section 9. 



297. Au ordinary pollcu-graiu lias two coats ; the outer coat tliickisli, 

 but weak, aud frequeutly adorued with lines or bands, or studded with 

 points ; the inner coat is extremely thin and delicate, but extensible, and 

 its cavity when fresh contains a thickish protoplasmic fluid, often rendered 

 turbid by au immense number of minute particles that float in it. As the 

 pollen matures this fluid usually dries up, but the protoplasm does not lose 

 its vitahty. When the grain is wetted it absorbs water, swells up, aud is 

 apt to burst, discharging the conteuts. But wheu weak 

 syrup is used it absorbs this slowly, and the tough in- 

 ner coat will sometimes break through the outer aud 

 begin a kind of growth, hke that which takes place when 

 the pollen is placed upon the stigma. 



298. Some pollen - grains are, as it 

 were, lobed (as in Fig. 315, 316;, or 

 formed of four grains united (as in the 

 Heath family. Fig. 317) : that of Pine 

 (Fig. 318) has a large rouuded and empty 

 bladder-like expansion upon each side. 

 This renders such pollen very buoyant, 

 and capable of being trans- 

 ported to a great distance 

 by the wind. 



299. In species of Acacia 

 simple grains lightly cohere 

 into globular pellets. In 

 Milkweeds and in most 

 Orchids all the pollen of an 



anther-cell is compacted or coherent into one mass, called a Pollen-mass, or 

 PoLLiNiUM, plural PoLLiNi.\. (Fig. 319-322.) 



ing Primrose, the three lobes as large as the central body; 317, of Kaltuia, four 

 grains united, as in most of the Heath family; 318, of Pine, as it were of three 

 grains or cells united; the lateral empty and liglit. 



Fig. 319. Pollen, a pair of pollinia of a Milkweed, A.sclepias, attached by stalks 

 to a gland; moderately magnified. 



Fig. 320. Pollinium of an Orchis (Habenaria), with its stalk attached to a 

 sticky gland; magnified. 321. Some of the packets or partial pollinia, of which 

 Fig. 320 is made up, more magnified. 



Fig. 322. One of the partial pollinia, torn up at top to show the grains (which 

 are each composed of four), and highly magnified. 



