144 VEGETABLE ORGANOGRAPHY. 



from the style, has borne the fecundating liquor to the 

 ovules, and has generally disappeared when the fruit is 

 formed. These two orders of vessels are subdivided 

 into as many filaments as there are ovules, and a 

 filament of each kind penetrates the seed, which is 

 connected with the placenta by a cord of variable form 

 and length, called the Umbilical Cord, Funiculus, 

 or Podosperm ; this cord, at the time of flowering, was 

 composed of one filament coming from the pistillary 

 cord, and of another from the nourishing one ; the first 

 usually disappears very soon after fecundation. There 

 are very rare cases where the two filaments, the com- 

 bination of which composes the ordinary funiculus, are 

 found completely distinct: thus, in Statice, the nourishing 

 filament proceeds from the base of the ovary, the 

 fecundating one from its summit, and they both reach 

 the seed distinct. 



The placenta is but little evident at the period of 

 flowering ; it afterwards enlarges and becomes full of 

 juice, which the seed absorbs during its growth ; whence 

 it results, that at maturity, the placenta is dry and 

 flaccid, resembling old pith. The larger it is in proportion 

 to the seeds, the more does it serve to nourish them : 

 thus, it is remarked that when fruits have a large 

 placenta, as in Coba>a, we may cut them long before 

 they are ripe, without endangering the maturation of 

 the seeds, which absorb from this resorvoir the juices 

 which are necessary for them ; whilst in pericarps where 

 it is small, the seeds cannot ripen after the fruit is 

 detached from the plant. When the placentae are dry, 

 it sometimes happens that, at maturity, they naturally 

 separate from the carpellary leaf from which they 

 originated. 



When the placenta? are placed along the ventral 

 suture, they are very evidently double ; it is the same 



