198 



THE FLOWER 



of the stamens, and see whether they face toward the 

 pistil or away from it. In the first case they are said to 



be introrse, in the second, 

 extrorse. 



Observe the mode of 

 attachment of the an- 

 thers, whether by their 

 base merely (terminal), or 

 through their entire length 

 (adnate), or to the tip of 

 the filament as on a pivot, 

 so as to admit of their 

 turning freely in all direc- 

 tions (versatile). 



Remove one of the sta- 

 mens and sketch it as it 

 appears under the lens, 

 labeling the powdery yel- 

 low body at the top, anther, 

 the stalklike (in the star- 

 of-Bethlehem expanded and petal-like) body supporting 

 it, filament. Usually the filaments are threadlike, whence 

 their name, but in the star-of-Bethlehem they look like 

 altered petals, and frequently a stamen is found in a 

 transition state, as if changing from stamen to petal, 

 or from petal back to stamen. See if you can find such 

 a one. What would you infer from this fact .' 



Notice the two little sacs or pouches that compose the 

 anther, as to their shape and manner of opening, or dehis- 

 cing, to discharge the 

 powder contained in 

 them. This powder is 

 called pollen, and will 

 be seen under the lens 

 to consist of little yellow 

 grains. These are of 

 different shapes, colors, and sizes, in different plants, and 

 the surface is often beautifully grooved and striate. The 



373-377- — Stamens (Gray): 373, a 

 stamen with the anther, b, surmounting 

 the filament, a (terminal) , and opening in 

 the normal manner down the outer side 

 of each cell ; 374, stamen of tulip tree, with 

 adnate extrorse anther; 375, stamen of an 

 evening primrose ( CEnothera) with versa- 

 tile anther; 376, stamen of pyrola, the 

 anther cells opening by chinks or pores 

 at the top; 377, stamen of a cranberry, 

 with the anther cells prolonged into a tube 

 and opening by a pore at the apex. 



378-381. — Forms of pollen (Gray): 

 from mimidus moschaius : 379, sicyos ; 

 echinocystis ; 381, hibiscus. 



378, 

 380, 



