MORPHOLOGY OF REPRODUCTIYE ORGx^NS 173 



of stalk, each end of which bears an anther-lobe {fig. 343). When 

 this occurs one lobe only, If, contains pollen ; the other. Is, is 

 sterile. That surface of the anther to which the connective is 

 attached is called the hack {fig. 339, a), and the opposite surface, 

 B, B, is the face. The latter always presents a more or less 

 grooved appearance {figs. 339 and 344, c), indicating the line of 

 junction of the two lobes. Each lobe also commonly presents a 

 more or less evident furrow {fig. 344, 6), indicating the point at 

 which the mature anther will open to discharge the pollen ; this 

 furrow is termed the autv/re. By these farrows the face of the 

 anther may be generally distinguished from the back, which is 



Fig. 346. Fig. 347. 



Fig. 346. A portion of the flower of the White Water-lily {Nyniphtea alba), 

 showing the gynoecium invested by a large fleshy disc which is pro- 

 longed from the thalamus. Below the pistil are some stamens which have 

 petaloid filaments and adnate iiitrorse anthers ; two petals are shown, 



the others having been removed. Fig. 347. Gyucecium and andrcEcium 



of the Tulip. The stamens ei and ce have introrse anthers, which dehisce 

 longitudinally. 



commonly smooth {fig. 339, a), and has moreover the filament 

 attached to it. The face is generally turned towards the gynoe- 

 cium or centre of the flower, as in the Water-lily {fig. 346), Vine 

 {fig. 344), and Tulip (fig. 347), in which case the anther is called 

 introrse ; but in some instances, as in the Iris and Meadow 

 Saffron {fig. 345), the face is directed towards the petals or 

 circumference of the flower, when the anther is said to be 

 extrorse. 



Attachment of the Filament to the Anther. — The mode in 

 which the anther is attached to the filament varies in different 

 plants, but is always constant in the same species, and fre- 

 quently throughout entire natural orders, and hence the cha- 

 racters afforded by such differences are important in systematic 

 Botany. There are three modes of attachment which are dis- 

 tinguished by special names. 1st, the anther is said to be 



