ARACE^ 



179 



— encloses the part of the flowering axis which bears the 

 flowers. The flowering axis 

 above the point of insertion 

 of the spathe bears — (i.) At its 

 base, a zone of many sessile 

 ovaries {ov) ; (ii.) higher up, 

 an encircling band of incom- 

 plete or rudimentary ovaries 

 {sf) ; (iii.) still higher, a belt 

 of numerous sessile anthers 

 {a) ; (iv.) above these again, 

 a zone of hairy structures {sf), 

 the hairs of which span the ^-l 

 space between the floral axis 

 and the narrowed portion of 

 the spathe -sheath. Finally, 

 the purple-tinted terminal part 

 of the axis {sx) is thickened, 

 but devoid of any lateral 

 structures. This axis, with 

 its stamens and ovaries, does 

 not represent a single flower, 

 for the ovaries are inserted 

 below the stamens on the 

 convex axis. It is an inflor- 

 escence consisting of many 

 carpel lary and staminate 

 flowers borne on a fleshy 

 axis. This view is shown to 

 be correct by the circum- 

 stance that in some other 

 Araceae each of the numerous 

 little flowers of the spadix 

 possesses a small perianth of 

 its own. The carpellary 

 flower (fig. 228) consists 

 solely of one single carpeL 

 The ovary {ov) is one-cham- 

 bered, and contains several 

 ovules {o) attached to its 



Wall The stigma {sg) is pig. 226.— Vertical section of spadix and 



sessile. Above these fertile f?Lrt oi s.^&t)s.^ o( Arum maaaatum. 



