MORPHOLOGY OF EEPRODUCTIVE ORGANS 175 



an anther-lobe, I f, containing pollen, the other merely a peta- 

 loid plate or abortive anther-lobe, Is; it is then said to be dis- 

 tractile. Sometimes the connective is prolonged beyond the 

 lobes of the anther ; either as a little rounded or tapering ex- 

 pansion, as in the Magnolia {fig. 350), or as a long feathery pro- 

 cess, as in the Oleander (fig. 352), or in various other v^ays. 

 At other times, again, it is prolonged downvsfards and backwards 

 as a kind of spur, as in the Heartsease [fig. 351). Anthers with 

 such appendages are termed apjpendiculate. 



Forms of the Anther -lohes and of the Anther. — The lobes 

 of the anther assume a variety of forms. Thus in MercuriaHs 

 annua {fig. 354), they are somewhat rounded; very frequently 

 they are more or less oval, as in the Almond and Lime 



Fill, aei. 



Fic. ;i.i5 



Fi'j. 35;^. A stamen of a species of Acahjpha iu a young state. /. Filament. 



;. Lineal" autUer-lobes. Fii'l. 354. A stamen of MerciiriaU-i annua, 



f. Pilameut. c. Connective. /, /.Rounded anthei'-lobes dehiscing longitu- 

 dinally. Fiq. 355. Tbe linear and sinuous antlier-lobes, Z, attached to 



the filament, /, of the common Bryony ( Brtjon la 'liirka). 



(fig. 349) ; in Acalypha they are linear (fig. 353) ; in the 

 Gourd tribe (fig. 355) linear and sinuous ; in Solanum (fig. 

 363) four-sided r and at other times pointed, or prolonged 

 in various ways. These and other forms which they assume, 

 combined with those of the connective, determine that of the 

 anther, which may be oval, oblong, &c. ; or bifurcate or forlced 

 as in Vaccinium uliginosum (fig. 357), or quadrifurcate (fig. 

 358) as in QauUheria procumbens, or sagittate (fig. 352) as in 

 the Oleander, or cordate-sagittate as in the common Wall- 

 flower. In the Grasses the anthers are forked at each extremity 

 (fig. 331), so as to resemble somewhat the letter x in form. 



The lobes of the anther also, like the connective, frequently 



.present appendages of various kinds. Thus in Erica cinerea 



they have a flattened leafy body at their base (fig. 356, a) ; at 



other times the surface of the anther presents projections in the 



