NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



bears five alternipetalous glands. The gynseccum is free, superior, 

 formed of an ovary witli five cells, superposed to tlie petals, sur- 

 mounted by a style wbicli above separates into five brandies stig- 

 matiferous within. In tlie internal angle of each cell there is a 

 longitudinal placenta supporting two ovules. These arc collateral 



Geranium saiicjuinmm. 



Fig. 8. Flower. 



Fig. 10. Long. sect, of flowers (|). 



Fig. 11. Fruit {\). 



or almost superposed, descendent, auatropous with niicropyle directed 

 outwards and upwards.^ The fruit, generally accompanied at its base 

 by the persistent calyx,^ is dry, surmounted by a style, and opens 

 at maturity, so that each of the cells separates by septifragal 

 dehiscence from the axis of the fruit.^ The cell rises elastically 



violet, or even bluish. The pollen is in spheri- 

 cal grains, opaque ; " on three sides an ollipticnl 

 cavity ; in this is a papilla which swells in 

 ■water ; external membrane coarse or papillose" 

 (H. MoHL, in Ann. Se. Nat. sér. 2, iii. 335). 

 The pollen is generally the same as in Eroclinm 

 Pelargonium, etc. 

 ' They have two coats. Sometimes one of 



the two ovules being displaced it becomes more 

 or less obliquely ascendent. 



- They are goncralty applied to the young 

 fruit after the fall of the petals. 



' IIoi'MEiSTEii has studied thi.s phenomenon 

 of dehiscence in a work where he has also 

 sliown how the colls are prolonged above into 



