72 
table, as this annular surface is looked upon by botanists as an 
enormous stigma. On the upper part of the columnar side we 
find lodges, corresponding to those facing the anthers in the 
male flower, but in the female they are much narrower (1 to 
2 mM.) and shallower. 
They are divided from each other by 9 mM. broad, low dykes 
of about the same width of both ends. 
A vertical section through the column shows the ovary, ha- 
ving the form of a crescent with the convex side upwards. In- 
complete septa of a greyish colour divide its interior into nu- 
merous niches, all crowded with huge quantities of very small 
shining, snow white eggs, 
Il. The petaloid portion of the flower: 
The generative organs, which we have just described, are 
situated during the bud stage in the interior of a large cavity, 
roofed by the petaloid portion of the flower, viz. the diaphragm 
and the five perigoneal lobes. In the fully developed open flower 
however this cavity is only partially roofed by the diaphragm, 
around which again the five lobes spread in a horizontal direction. 
The diaphragm and the lobes originate from a common body 
the perigoneal tube. : 
The tube starts from the side of the basal part of the column 
at the height of the under side of the ovary, from which point 
it curves outwards and then upwards; till it reaches the level 
of the tops of the processus disci, when it splits into diaphragm 
and perigony. 
The inner, concave side of the perigoneal tube is of a warm 
purple colour and it is closely covered by large quantities of 
ramenta of the same color, soft, clubshaped hairs, about 1 cM. 
long and 1 mM. thick, swollen or slightly ramified at the top. 
The ramenta at the base of the perigoneal tube (near the linea 
terminalis columnae) are smaller, frailer and more or less rudi- 
mentary, whereas those situated higher grow thicker and more 
ramified, so much so that some of them look like coarse brushes. 
From the upper end of the perigoneal tube originates the 
diaphragm. This forms a vault with a large, central opening. 
