178 ON THE NECTARIES OF FLOWERS. 



necessity of this variation in the situation of the nectaries : for 

 there is not any thing more striking in dissecting plants, than 

 the simplicity and ease with which the cause is discovered in 

 the effect. As a specimen of the nectary in the calyx, I shall 

 give the stock (pi. iv, fig. 1.) Here the tvi'o opposite leaves 

 serve as the hidden nectary^ and the excrescence alternating the 

 stamen forms the open one. For an example of the nectary 

 in the corolla, I shall give the fritillaria : in this a sort of basin, 

 fig, 2, corresponds with the secret nectary under the seed- 

 vessel. In the stamen it is either at the bottom of the fila- 

 ment, fig. 3, AA, or joined in a more conspicuous manner, as 

 Nectary in the in the corn flower, fig. 4, BB, which is distinguished by many 

 owrr. curious circumstances peculiar to itself, which I shall enlarge 

 upon another time, when I give the dissection of the sta- 

 men. In all pentandria digynia plants, we have examples of 

 the nectary joined to the pistil and seed-vessel, as at fig. 5 : 

 CC being the open, and DD the closed nectary. Here we also 

 see a proof of that brilliant white matter, which always an- 

 nounces the luscious juice. I shall present also one example of 

 a plant having its seed-vessel above, in the passion-flower, fig. 6. 

 Here the nectary is sure to be placed in the following manner : 

 the open one at EE, the closed one at F, perfectly secreted from 

 all danger, yet corresponding with the other nectary, and free 

 to communicate its juices for the benefit of the seeds, and re- 

 pairing any excess of evaporation lost on the stigma. The 

 secret nectary in the iris I have already shown to be a species of 

 well, see fig. 7, from H to H, while the corners of the trough 

 in the fiower are seen at II. The secret nectary in the gera- 

 nium is shown, fig. 8, from K to K j and the open one, a 

 trough round the pistil at LL. The two nectaries in the silene, 

 cucubalis, lychnis, &c., are displayed at fig. 9 : MM being the 

 secret one, NN the open nectary. Those in all flowers, which 

 have uncovered seeds, are seen at fig. J 3 PP the open one, 

 00 the secreted box. I have avoided giving those most com- 

 monly known^ as I preferred the nectaries which have not yet 

 been noticed by botaaists, to show more certainly, that two ar« 

 found indifferently in all plants. 

 Cdadusion of I shall now conclude my letter with a few words on the me- 

 thc subject, chanical properties of the nectary. There is, I believe, no nec- 

 tary, that has cot the power of giving out its juices, or retaining 



them. 



