BOTAXICAL CONSIDERATIONS. 9 



occurs is when their odor reaches its height; it is when 

 their color is most brilliant, and in theory, it is when 

 the pollen is most actively absorbed by the organs of 

 the pistil. In the case of beet seed, the special charac- 

 teristic odor just mentioned is, according to Wiesner, 

 due to an organic base known as trimethyl amine. 



Description of the Flower. '*' 



The engravings (Figs. 3 and 4) give an excel- 

 lent idea of the flower taken as a whole, and the 



Fig. 3. Perspective view of the flower as seen from top. 



section shows its appearance before and after matur- 

 ity. The flower proper, when looked at with a 

 strong glass, is shown to consist of the petals 



*DEP"lNITIO>'S. 



Carpel — Another name for the leaves of the pistil ; it is frequeiltiy 



applied to one of the leaves of which the pistil is composed. 

 Corolla — The leaves of the fiower within tlie calyx. 

 Calyx — The outer sac of the floral envelopes or leaves of the flower. 

 Cotyledon — The first leaves of the embryo. 

 Embryo — The rudimentary undeveloped plantlet in a seed. 

 Endosperm — Another name for the albumen of seed. 

 Micropyle — Closed orifice of the seed. 

 Ovule— The body, which is destined to become a se^d. 

 Ovary — Part of pistil containing the ovnles of future seed. 

 Pericarp — The walls of the fruit matured. 

 I'istil— Organ to be fertilized and bear the seed; if we consider from 



the bottom it consists of the ovary ,the style and the stigma. 

 Plumule— The small bud or first shoot of a germinating plantlet, above 



the cotyledons. 

 Receptacle — The axis or support of Uie flower. 

 J^tyle — Part of the pistil whicii bears tlie stignia. 

 Stigma— Partof the pistil which receives the pollen. 

 St;\niens — Tlie fertilizing organs and consist of t-\vo parts,- the tila- 



ment or stalk and the anther. 

 Testa— The outer and usually the harder coat or shell of seed. 



