UNION OF PARTS 203 



Inside the sepals, are five petals, which as in the 

 other plants, are attached to the top of the pedicel, 

 and between (that is, alternating with) the sepals. The 

 largest petal, and the first to unfold, because it in 

 bud wraps round the others, is the posterior or upper- 

 most, just as in ERYTHRINA. Under this are twa 

 oblong petals, and under these again a pair which 

 are broad about the middle and narrowed towards the 

 tips, and are connected together to form a boat- 

 shaped organ ending in a narrow tube. 



This pointed structure, formed by the union of the 

 two anterior petals, is termed the keel, the two lateral 

 oblong petals are called the wings, and the upper- 

 most, large, posterior petal, the standard. 



Lying inside the keel, and springing like the sepals 

 and petals from the top of the pedicel, is a tube, which 

 in CROTALARIA divides at the end into ten anther- 

 bearing filaments. This tube may be considered as 

 formed of ten stamens joined together, and they are for 

 this reason said to be monadelphous. In the other plants 

 mentioned, the tube is incomplete, one filament being free 

 as in ERYTHRINA, that is, the stamens are diadelphous. 



In CROTALARIA, too, the anthers are not all alike,, 

 five being long and narrow, the other (alternating) 

 five almost globular in shape. But in practically 

 all other plants, the anthers are all alike. 



Inside the staminal tube, lies the ovary, which, like 

 that of (LESALPINIA and ERYTHRINA, is a hollow case 

 containing one row of ovules attached to the upper, 

 posterior side, and ending in a curved style. On 

 the style are a few hairs pointing upwards, and the 

 extreme tip is the small oval stigma. 



