98 THE MORPHOLOGY 



been dealt with in the explanation of the idea of a typical 

 plant, and therefore we shall only need some little addi- 

 tions in reference to the formation of the flower, which 

 exhibits some complexity. 



In the place where the carpels or fruit-leaves^ and seed- 

 buds are situated in the typica plant, that is, in the centre 

 of the flower, most plants display an organ which is closed 

 in all round, but hollow ; it encloses the seed-buds, and its 

 cavity only communicates with the external air by a canal 

 which is usually almost imperceptible. This body, as a 

 whole, is called the " pistil," that part which encloses the 

 seed-buds the " yermen" (also fruit-bud), and the opening 

 above, the " stigma." If the body is elongated into a kind 

 of stem between the germen and the stigma, this portion 

 is called ^he "style" (PI. iv. Fig. 2). Now, this body 

 is especially variable in its composition ; sometimes it 

 is wholly formed of one or several carpels, at others* 

 its lower part, the germen or even the whole is a 

 portion of the peculiarly transformed stem. Those por- 

 tions of the stem, too, which otherwise belong to the 

 blossom (a nr a v) are often metamorphosed in the 

 strangest ways, and on these two conditions depends in 

 part the great variety of flowers, to which also the con- 

 ditions of number and position in the remaining portions 

 contribute their share of influence. 



The terms which we derive from such scientific exami- 

 nation of plants, appear strange when they are used in 

 common life, and it sounds strangely enough to hear, 

 that the grateful juicy part of a Strawberry is but a 

 portion of the flower-stalk, while the actual fruit consists 

 in the little inedible granules ; on the other hand, that 

 in a Raspberry we eat a quantity of little genuine fruits, 

 the carpels which have become fleshy and succulent, while 



