70 THE SECOND BOOK OF BOTANY. 



Do you see in your specimen a groove down the 

 middle of the anther on one of its sides ? Is there 

 any thing like a ridge on the other side of the an- 

 ther, opposite the groove ? 



Can you divide the anther at this place without 

 coming upon the pollen ? 



What name is given to this part of the anther in 

 Fig. 88 ? What are the two halves it connects called ? 



Look at your living anther for the line along each 

 lobe, called the line of dehiscence in the figure. 



What name is given in Fig. 89 to the sides of the 

 anther-cells ? (Of course, each lobe has two valves ; 

 but, as they are opposite, only one can be shown in 

 a picture.) 



ANTHER-LOBE. The cell which holds the pollen 

 (Fig. 88). 



CONNECTIVE. A continuation of the filament 

 which unites the two lobes of the anther. It is 

 often inconspicuous or absent, but is sometimes easi- 

 ly seen (Fig. 88). 



VALVES. The sides of an anther-lobe. 



LINE, OR POINT, OF DEHISCENCE. The opening 

 through which the pollen escapes. 



It may help the learner in forming a distinct idea 

 of these different parts of the anther, to know that 

 the stamen is looked upon by botanists as a sort of 

 leaf, the filament answering to the petiole, and the 

 anther to the blade. The connective corresponds to 

 the mid -rib of a leaf, and the line of dehiscence to 

 its margin, each lobe being half of a leaf-blade, and 



