ORGANS OF REPRODUCTION. 



71 



is intimately united to the circumference of the 

 ovary. Sometimes it is not entirely inferior, but 

 is free in some portion of its upper part, a third, 

 a half, or two-thirds. These different gradations 

 are observed in the saxifrages. 



There is, hov^ever, a position of the ovary 

 which, although almost always confounded with 

 the inferior, requires to be distinguished from it. 

 It is when several pistils, existing together in a 

 flower, are attached to the inner wall of a calyx 

 which is very narrow at its upper part, so that 

 at first sight it might seem to represent an in- 

 ferior ovary. These ovaries are named parietal, 

 as in the genus Rosa, and many other plants of 

 the same family. 



The ovary is sessile at the bottom of the flower 

 when it is not raised upon any peculiar support; 

 as in the lily and hyacinth. It may be stipitate, 

 when it is borne upon a very elongated base ; as 

 in the caper. When cut across, the ovary often 

 presents a single internal cavity or cell, contain- 

 ing the ovules. In this case it is said to be uni- 

 locular; as in the almond, the cherry, and the 

 pink. It is named lilocular, when it is com- 

 posed of two cells ; as in the lilac, the toadflax, 

 and the foxglove. Trilocular, when composed 

 of three. Multilocula/r, when it presents a great 

 number of cells ; as in the water-lily. 



Each cell may 'contain a number of ovules, 

 varying in different plants. Thus there are cells 

 which never contain more than a single ovule, 

 and others which contain two. In some cases, 

 each cell contains a great number of ovules, as 

 in the tobacco, the poppy, &c. ; but these ovules 

 may be variously disposed. They are not unfre- 

 quently regularly superimposed upon each other, 

 along a longitudinal line; as in aristolochia 

 sypho. 



Ovules, when fecundated, become seeds; but 

 it frequently happens that a certain number of 

 them regulai-ly become abortive in the fruit. 

 Several of the partitions are even sometimes des- 

 troyed and disappear. 



The style is the filiform prolongation of the 

 summit of the ovary which supports the stigma, 

 cut 43, J. Sometimes it is entirely wanting, and 

 then the stigma is sessile, as in the poppy and tulip . 

 The ovary may be surmounted by a single style, as 

 in the lily, and the pea family ; by two styles, 

 as in the umbellifera: ; by three styles, as in the 

 way-faring-tree ; by four, as in the parnassia; 

 or by five, as in the statice, linum. In other 

 cases, again, there is only a single style for several 

 ovaries ; as in the apocinece. The style almost 

 always occupies the highest part of the ovary ; 

 as in the cruciferae, liliacese, &c. It is then said 

 to be terminal. It is named lateral when it 

 arises from the lateral parts of the ovary ; as in 

 most of the families of roses, and the genus Daphne. 

 In some much rarer cases, the style appears 

 to spring from the base of the ovary. It then 



obtains the name of basal or basilar style. It 

 has this position in the lady's-mantle, and the 

 bread-fniit tree. Sometimes also, the style, iu 

 place of springing from the ovary, seems to arise 

 ft'om the receptacle; as in the labiatse, and certain 

 boraginese. The style may be included, that is, 

 contained within the flower, so as not to ap- 

 pear externally; as in the lilac, and the jas- 

 mine. Or it maybe protruded,as in red valerian. 

 The forms of the style are not less numerous 

 than those of the other organs which we have 

 already examined. Although it is generally 

 slender and filifonn, >yet, in certain plants, it 

 has quite a different appearance. It sometimes 

 seems as if jointed to the summit of the ovary, 

 so as to fall off^ after fecundation, leaving no 

 traces of its presence ; as in the cherry and 

 plum. In this case, it is named caducous. 

 Sometimes, on the contrary, it is persistent, 

 when it remains after fecundation. Thus in 

 the box, and the anemone and clematis, the style 

 continues, and forms part of the fruit. Lastly, 

 it sometimes not only remains after fecunda- 

 tion, but continues to increase in size ; as iu the 

 pasque-flowei'. 



The Stigma is the usually glandular part of 

 the pistil, placed at the summit of the ovary or 

 style, and destined to receive the influence of the 

 fecundating substance, cut 43, c. Its surface is 

 generally uneven, and more or less clammy. The 

 stigma, considered in an anatomical point of 

 view, is composed of elongated utricles, con- 

 verging from the sm-face of the stigma towards 

 the style, and loosely attached to each other by 

 a mucilaginous substance. These utricles are 

 generally naked, although, in some cases, they are 

 covered by a very thin and transparent membrane. 

 The number of stigmas is determined by that 

 of the styles, or of the divisions of the style, the 

 former always corresponding to the latter. The 

 stigma is sessile, or directly attached to the sum- 

 mit of the ovary, when the style is' wanting ; as 

 in the poppy and tulip. There is only one stigma 

 in the cruciferse, leguminosse, primulaceae ; two 

 in the umbelliferEe and a gTeat number of grasses. 

 Three in the iris, the genera Silene, Rheum, 

 Bumex ; five in the flax ; six, and even a greater 

 number, inmany otherplants, such as the mallows. 

 The stigma is generally terminal, or situated 

 at the summit of the style or ovary ; as in the 

 lily and poppy. It is lateral when it occupies the 

 sides of the style, or, when that part is wanting, 

 of the ovary; as in the ranunculus and plane-tree. 

 With respect to the substance of which it is 

 composed, it \s fleshy when thick, firm, and suc- 

 culent; as in the lily. Glandular, when evi- 

 dently formed of small glands, more or less ap- 

 proximated to each other. Memhramous, when 

 flat and thin. Petaloid, when thin, mem- 

 branous, and coloured like the petals. Ac- 

 cording to its form, the stigma may be glo- 



