STRUCTURE OF FLOWERS. 115 



five. The great majority of facts corresponds to this rule, 

 and I have little doubt that the exceptions will come to 

 be arranged in proportion as we know more of the true 

 symmetry of plants, and the great action of abortions. 

 We have already seen that several of these exceptions 

 are explained : — 



1st. By the system of abortions of which I have 

 spoken. 



2d. By the union of several partial organs : thus, 

 for example, if the flower of the Graminea? appears to 

 present a spathe with two valves, it is most probably 

 because the inner valve is formed by the union of two. 



3d. The exceptions, with an excess of parts, may be 

 explained by the union of neighbouring flowers : thus, 

 the flowers of Paris may, with sufficient truth, be con- 

 sidered analogous to those of Trillium, but united in 

 pairs. We remark, in fact, that Paris quadrifolia pre- 

 sents the parts of each verticil in every intermediate 

 number between three and six ; and P. polyphylla, which 

 presents a still greater number, may result from the 

 union of three or four ternary flowers. 



Section XV. 



Of Nectaries. 



There are few terms which have been so much abused 

 as that of Nectary. In its strict sense it means every 

 excretory gland situated upon one of the floral organs, 

 and the juice which it secretes bears the name of Nectar. 

 Linnaeus made use of this term to designate every kind 



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