ELEMENTS OF STRUCTURAL BOTANY. 



23 



It is a flat body, sliaped sometliiuglike aJieart, (Fig 29) 

 and liaviug the slioit style iu the notch. A ridge divides 

 it lengthwise on each side. Carefully cut or pull away 

 the lobes, and this ridge will remain, 

 presenting now the appearance of a nar- 

 row loop, with a very thin membranous 

 partition stretched across it. Around 

 the edge, on both sides of the partition, 

 seeds aro suspended from slender stalks. 

 (Fig. 30). There are, then, two carpels Fig. 29. Fig 

 nnited together, and the pistil is, therefore, si/ncarpoiis. 



The peculiar pistil of this flower should be carefully 

 noticed, as it is the leading character of a whole group 

 of plants. When you meet with such a pistil, you may 

 be pretty certain that the plant to which it belongs is a 

 member of the Cress or Cruri/er family, so called from the 

 four petals sometimes spreading out like the arms of a 

 cross. We shall find, however, that there are cross- 

 shaped corollas belonging to plants of other groups. 



SHEPHERD'S PURSE. 



30 



