216 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



almost opposite to one another are borne, and flowers are produced 

 in the axils of these. 



The flower has a cylindrical, green, hairy flower-stalk. At the 

 base of the flower where it passes into the floral receptacle this 

 widens out distinctly. On cutting a flower in half it will be seen 

 clearly that the receptacle forms a plate-like expansion similar 

 to that in the Strawberry flower, but more distinct. Around the 

 margin of this stand the five triangular green sepals, and below 

 and between these (as on the Strawberry) are five, smaller, pointed, 

 green structures, which here also may be explained as derived 

 from the stipules of the sepals. 



The petals are also borne on the margin of the flattened recep- 

 tacle, and alternate with the sepals. Each is bright yellow, has a 

 rounded outline, and is attached by a narrow base. Within the 

 corolla we come to numerous stamens inserted on the upper 

 surface of the receptacle near its edge. Each has a greenish 

 stalk and a small bright yellow anther. Centrally, on a rounded 

 projection of the summit of the receptacle, are the numerous 

 small carpels. The insertion of each carpel is distinct from that 

 of the others, and its swollen basal part forms a little green hairy 

 ovary, while the upper part forms the style and stigma. There is 

 a little kink or bend in the upper part of the style, while the portion 

 above this bears the stigmatic surface. Each ovary encloses a 

 single ovule, but the structure of the ovary will be best made out 

 after it has enlarged in the fruit. 



The fruit develops from the whole group of carpels after 

 pollination. The petals fall away, the sepals bend back round 

 the flower-stalk, while the withered remains of the stamens are 

 visible beneath the enlarged end of the receptacle bearing the 

 globular group of carpels. Each of these now forms a fruitlet. 

 The flattened green portion developed from the ovary can now 

 be opened with the point of the knife, and will be found to contain 

 a single developing seed. The style has persisted and elongated ; 

 it bears near the upper end the little bend or hook already referred 

 to, and beyond this the remains of the stigma. When mature the 

 fruitlets are readily detached from the receptacle. The hooked 

 style assists in their dispersion. It would catch readily in the 

 fur of an animal, as it will be found to do in the cloth of a coat- 



