ON CHORISIS. 373 



other set of protective or enveloping parts, usually of a more delicate 

 texture, and more likely to be colored, called the corolla, and its parts 

 jpetals ; then a set of organs so transformed as for the midrid to be- 

 come a simple support called the ^lament, the lateral expansion to be 

 contracted into cells forming the anther, whilst the superficial cells of its 

 infolded surface are specialised into sperm cells called ^oWew. These 

 organs as a vphole are called androecium and singly stamens. In the 

 remaining circle the leaves are made to bear on their margin or at their 

 base germ cells called ovules, this expanded portion of the leaf or of 

 several such leaves united being the ovarium; the apical portion gene- 

 rally drawn out to some length, is the style, and the naked glandular 

 tip is the stigma. The whole circle of these leaves is the gynoeciumt 

 individually they are carpels. As there are four distinct modifications 

 pf leafy organs, forming in typical examples as many circles, there is a 

 manifest convenience in having a name for each circle as a whole and for 

 the parts of each, besides any names required to designate special por- 

 tions of each organ. I have adopted names from good authority 

 using care in their selection. The chief thing to be observed is the 

 use of the term gynoecium for the whole of the inner circle and car- 

 pel for each separate part. I have judged it necessary to reject en- 

 tirely the Linnaean term pistil, because, the true theory of the struc- 

 ture of the flower not being then understood, he used the term, some- 

 times for the whole circle of carpels when so united as to seem a single 

 organ ; sometimes for each separate style where the ovarian portions 

 of the carpels are united, but their styles distinct, and sometimes for 

 each carpel where they remained entirely separate, the word is useful 

 enough in reference to the Linnsean artificial system, but cannot be 

 employed to express what is now known without being a source of 

 confusion. It is much to be regretted that eminent teachers of the 

 science will persevere in employing it, especially as the evil is greatly 

 aggravated by attempts to give the term a new meaning or to persuade 

 us that Linnseus employed it in accordance with our modern ideas. 



2. Having considered what seems well established, respecting the 

 origin of the flower and the nature of its parts, what first claims our 

 notice is the variation in the number of circles. 



We have mentioned four diff^ering in kind, but we may have one, 

 two, or three of these absent, and we may have them increased by the 

 occurrence of many circles of one kind of organ. The difference is in 

 the development of the axis of the flower, which varies from a single 



