THE FLOWER 95 



along the whole length of the anther-lobe, as in jaba, 

 ata, and champa; or (2) by a slit along a portion 

 only of the length of the anther-lobe, as in pana, ghet- 

 kachu, and gaja-pipul ; or (3) by pores, that is, small 

 holes usually on the top of the anther-lobes, as in 

 natkan, chalta, and begoon ; or (4) by valves, when 

 a part of the wall of the sac opens like a valve or 

 lid, as in tezpat flowers and other flowers of the 

 Lauraceae family (see fig. 244, a). Of these forms of 

 dehiscence the longitudinal is the most common, and 

 it is said to be introrse, extrorse, or lateral according 

 as the dehiscing line is towards the face, back, or 

 side of the anther. 



In certain flowers some stamens are seen with an- 

 thers and others without them ; the former are known 

 as FERTILE stamens and the latter sterile or barren. 

 The sterile stamens are known as staminodia, as 

 in bakul {Mimusops Elengi) (see fig. 203), and in 

 mooch-kunda, or kanak-champa {Pterospermum aceri- 

 foliuni). In sarba-jaya (see fig. 263), bhuin-champa 

 {Kcempferia rotunda), and dulal-champa (see fig. 262) 

 the staminodia have the form of petals, and are there- 

 fore called petaloid. 



Gyncecium or Pistil. — This is the last whorl of 

 a flower, and is intended to produce the female cell 

 known as the oosphere, ovum or egg-cell. The 

 oosphere remains enclosed in another cell, called the 

 embryo -SAC or macrospore, which latter again 

 remains enclosed in a structure called the ovule or 

 macrosporangium. The ovules or macrosporangia 

 are destined to form the seeds. Bisexual flowers 

 are therefore also known by the name of ambi- 

 SPORANGiATE, bccause they bear both the micro- 

 sporangia or pollen-sacs and the macrosporangia or 

 ovules. 



