STAMEN. 35 



191. Sometimes a degree of adhesion exists between 

 Fig. 31 . tne body of the ovarium and the base 



of the filament, so that the stamen 

 seems to arise above the ovarium it- 

 self, as at (a), the stamens are then 

 said to be epigynous ; sometimes the 

 filament adheres to the inner surface 

 of the calyx or corolla, as at (b), it is 

 then perigynous ; but when it arises free at once from its 

 true origin, as at (fig. 30), it is called hypogynous. 



192. The general form of the filament is cylindrical, 

 though it may be thicker at its extremity than its 

 origin, or divided like a fork, or even foliaceous, &c. 



193. When there are more stamens than one within 

 . or> a flower, the filaments of them are 



" scan g enera Hy separate from each other, 

 but they often become connected 

 more or less together; and when 

 they are united into one bundle or 

 continuous tube, as at (a), they are 

 called monadelphous ; when into two 



bundles, as at (b), diadelphous ; and when into more than 



two, polyadelphous. 



194. In some cases the filaments become all consoli- 

 33 dated together, and form a solid body called 



a columna, which bears the crown of anthers 

 at the top. 



195. At the extremity of the filament is 

 placed one of the essential parts of the male 

 organ, the anther, (b, fig. 30.) 



196. When we cut across the fully formed 

 anther, in the generality of cases we see it 

 formed of two cells or compartments of greater 



or less magnitude, filled with pollen ; very few plants 

 showing a one-celled anther. 



197. If the anther had been examined at a much 

 earlier period, we should, in all probability, have found 

 it composed of four cells, the relative position of them 

 varying very much according to the species which we 



