18 



NAT ORAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



These four latter are not entirely free, eaoli of the lateral being 

 more or less connate with the posterior which enyelops it, so 



Impatims JBalsamina. 



Fig. 41. Posterior side of flower. Fig. 48. Dehiscent fruit. Fig. 42. Side view of flower. 



Impatiem Balsamina. 



Fig. 44. longit. sect, of flower. Pig. 43. Diagram. Fig. 47. Fruit. 



that these four appendices ma^ only represent two, more or less 



deeply bilobate. The androcenra 

 consists of five alternipetalous hy- 

 pogynoTis stamens, each formed of 

 a short wide flat free filament, and 

 a two-celled iatrorse anther adher- 

 iQg to the neighbouring anthers 

 even at the time when the pollen 

 is emitted, 1 which takes place by 

 two short clefts of variable extent. 

 The inner surface of the filaments 

 is often prolonged into a kind of ac- 

 cessory collarette applied to the 

 ovary. The ovary is free, superior, 



formed of five oppositipetalous cells, surmounted by a style with stig- 



Fig. 45. Androceum 

 and Gynseceum 



Fig. 46. Longit. sect, 

 of Androceum and 

 Gjnaeceum. 



1 " CyHndrioal, slightly compressed on two 

 sides, rounded at the extremity ; umbilicus trans- 



versely oval, as much to the upper as the lower 

 part of each of the small sides (thus four in all). 



