THE MADDER TRIBE. 177 



angles and five shallow teeth ; the interior {Jig. 2. c. 

 and fig. 4.) being a superior greenish disk, expanded 

 into five purple hairy horns ; of these two coverings the 

 first is a little involucre, of the same nature as that in 

 the Mallow (Plate YI. l-fig- 3. «.), the second is the 

 true calyx. The corolla is funnel-shaped, with its 

 border divided into four nearly equal lobes {fig. 2) ; 

 there are four stamens, which spread away from each 

 other, without at all adhering {fig. 3.) either by the 

 filaments or anthers. The ovary is one-celled, and 

 what we technically call inferior ; but it is a most 

 unusual and instructive illustration of the correctness 

 of the opinions of modern Botanists as to the real 

 nature of a superior calyx (Vol. I. j^. 28.). In the 

 plant before us the ovary is a thin membranous case 

 (fig. 5. 6.), surrounded by the sides of the calyx, which, 

 however, does not adhere to it, except quite at the 

 orifice of its tube ; but there the union is so complete 

 that no trace of the separation lower down can be seen, 

 except upon dissection. The style is a slender thread, 

 curved upwards, and bearing a purple, narrow, hammer- 

 headed stigma {fig. 4. a.). The ovule hangs pendulous 

 from the top of the ovary {fig. 5. a.). The ripe seed- 

 vessel is an oval seed-like body, terminated by five 

 stifi^, brown, hairy horns, and containing a pendulous 

 seed, the embryo of which lies in albumen, with its 

 radicle pointing to the apex of the seed-vessel {fig. 7.)- 

 These details shew you that, notwithstanding the 

 general resemblance of the Devils-bit to a composite 

 flower, it differs in having distinct stamens, and a 

 pendulous seed, exclusively of all other circumstances. 



VOL. II. N 



