172 COMPOUND ORGANS OP PLANTS. 



the other sexual organs of the plant after fecundation. A plant 

 in every stage of its existence is a beautiful subject for con- 

 templation, but particularly at the close of the period of its 

 life. What, when its leaves are withering and falling from its 

 stem! when its flowers are losing their brilliant hues and 

 inimitable coloring ! and when the whole vegetable economy 

 of the plant is languishing ! Yes, even then it becomes, if 

 possible, an object of deeper admiration. Why do the leaves 

 fall from its stem ? Because food is no longer required to be 

 taken from the atmosphere. Why do the flowers lose their 

 beauty, the petals detach themselves and fall, and even the 

 stamens experience tne same degradation ? It is because these 

 parts of the plant have fulfilled their allotted functions. No 

 leaf or flower fades or falls in nature before it has accomplished 

 the purposes of its creation. You see that the pistil alone 

 remains in the centre of the flower. But the style and stigma 

 are now useless to the plant, and therefore they disappear 

 equally with the other parts. The ovary alone is persistent, 

 since it is in its bosom that nature has carefully deposited the 

 embryo or seed which contains in itself the rudiments of future 

 generations. 



A little time after fecundation, we see the ovary increase in 

 size, the ovules which it encloses being converted into seeds 

 containing an embryo, and very soon the ovary has acquired 

 all the characters proper to constitute it a fruit. 



