BOTANY. 



tribute to the same end. There can be 

 no doubt that the use of the honey is to 

 attract insects, to promote the impregna- 

 tion of the flower, and not, as some have 

 thought, for the nourishment of the seeds 

 or other organs, being frequently quite 

 out of the reach of both. 



3. Stamina, fig. 38, the stamens, are 

 situated vvithinside of the corolla, and are 

 variows in number in different flowers, 

 from one to several hundreds. These are 

 the essential organs of impregnation. \ 

 stamen usually consists of two parts, j?fo- 

 nientum^ the filament, and anthera, the an- 

 ther, the latter of which only is essential. 

 Its most common shape is oblong, com- 

 posed of two cells or cavities, which burst 

 by a longitudinal fissure on the outside, 

 A more unusual structure is when the 

 anther opens by pores towards the sum- 

 mit, as in the genus erica, or heath, of 

 which such a profusion of beautiful species 

 from the Cape of Good Hope enriches our 

 green-houses. Some of their anthers, 

 moreover, are furnished with variously 

 formed and very elegant crests and spurs, 

 which afford the botanist marks for dis- 

 criminating the species. The genus of 

 the first, Finns, has a jagged crest to its 

 anthers, which serves also to distinguish 

 some of the difficult species from each 

 other. The situation of anthers upon 

 their filaments is either pendicular or in- 

 cumbent. Some of the latter kind are 

 versatile, being suspended by a fine 

 thread, which admits of their being turn- 

 ed round a great number of times with- 

 out coming off*. This may be seen to 

 great advantage in the passion-flower, as 

 likewise in the different species of lily. 

 The cells of the anther are destined to 

 contain the pollen, or dust. This appears 

 to the naked eye like a fine powder; but 

 when examined under the microscope, it 

 is often found to have a very peculiar 

 structure in different plants. It is dis- 

 charged chiefly in dry sunny weather, 

 when either the coats of the anther, by 

 bursting, scatter it abroad, which is often 

 assisted by some elasticity of the filaments 

 or other parts of the flower; or else it 

 adheres to the rough bodies of insects, as 

 they frequent the flowers in search of 

 honey. Each grain of the pollen remains 

 entire so long as it continues dry, being 

 a membranous bag, so constructed as to 

 burst when it meets with moisture, dis- 

 charging a fine elastic vapour, and this 

 last is the effective part of the pollen. 

 This is the general appearance of the 

 substance we are describing ; but in the 

 orchis family, the mirabilis, the asclepias, 

 and some of its allies, the pollen is re- 



markably different, consisting of glutin- 

 ous naked masses, sheathed inside, or 

 concealed by the peculiar structure of the 

 flowers; but scarcely, except in the mi- 

 rabilis, lodged in a proper anther. The 

 stamens are subject to be obliterated 

 when the plant increases much by root ; 

 they are metamorphosed into petals in 

 what are called double flowers, as the ane- 

 mone and ranunculus, so much admired 

 by curious florists. 



4. Pistiila, the pistils, fig. 39, are also 

 an essential part of a flower, standing 

 within the circle formed by the stamens 

 in the very centre of it ; at least, they are 

 usually in the same flower with the sta- 

 mens. Sometimes they are placed in a 

 different individual of the same species. 

 Such are termed separated flowers. That 

 furnished with stamens being called the 

 male or barren blossom ; that with pistils 

 the female or fertile one. Such as have 

 both organs in the same individual have 

 received the appellation of united or per- 

 fect flowers ; and here it may not be amiss 

 to mention, that a flower furnished with 

 both calyx and corolla is, in Linnsean 

 language, said to be complete ; when the 

 corolla is wanting, incomplete; and when 

 the corolla is present without the calyx, 

 naked. When barren and fertile flowers 

 are borne by the same individual plant, 

 such are named monoecious, as residing 

 in the same house. If, on the other hand, 

 they grow from two separate roots, they 

 are dioecious. Some plants, besides these 

 different kinds of flowers, bear others, in 

 which the organs are associated. To these 

 the term po ygamous has been applied. 

 Each pistil consists of three parts, the 

 ^ermen, or rudiments of the future fruit 

 or seed, which is of course essential ; the 

 style, which is not universal ; and the 

 stigma, which is necessarily so, being the 

 part destined to receive the pollen, and 

 being furnished with its own appro- 

 priate moisture, to make that substance 

 explode. By this means the seeds 

 within the germen are rendered fertile. 

 In some plants the stigma has been ob- 

 served to be irritable, and in others to 

 gape for the reception of the pollen- In 

 general it remains vigorous no longer 

 than till the pollen has had access to it. 

 It is necessary for botanical purposes to 

 observe, whether the germen be supe- 

 rior, that is, above the calyx and corolla, 

 or inferior, below their insertion. Pistils 

 as well as stamens are occasionally oblite- 

 rated or changed to petals. 



5. Pencarphim, the seed-vessel, for 

 which some recent cryptogamic botanists 

 have contrived a new term, sporangium, 



