FLOWERS. 6 1 



this the disc ', because it is usually round, though it is 

 often lobed and gland-like, as in the protea and the 

 rose; cup-formed, as in peony and waterbane; cover- 

 ing the summit of the seed organ in carrot and hem- 

 lock; like bundled stamens tipt with glands in grass 

 of Parnassus ; coming between the style and the seed 

 organ in composite flowers ; joined with the receptacle 

 in borage, and adhering to the sides of the flower-cup 

 in the almond. 



The Pistils. 



In the centre of the flower, and always surrounded 

 by the disc when there is one, and when none by the 

 stamens, there may be observed from one to many 

 small bodies, varying much in length and form, termed 

 pistils, and considered to be the female organs of re- 

 production. A pistil 2 consists of a style 3 and a sum- 

 mit 4 ; and at the base of the style we find the seed 

 organ 5 , which will fall to be described afterwards. 

 The summit, like the spongelets of roots, is never 

 covered by the rind, as all other parts of a plant are, 

 and hence what is termed the summit by Linnaeus in 

 the iris, the sweet pea, and in labiate flowers, is really 

 the style. 



(1) In Latin, Perigynium (LINK), or Discus (LINDLEV). 



(2) In Latin, Pistillum. (3) In Latin, Stylus. 

 (4) In Latin, Stigma, which is not very appropriate. 



(5) In Latin, Ovarium, by modern writers ; by Linnaeus, Germen. 



