450 



BOTANY 



The position assumed by the ovules themselves in the cavity of the 

 ovary may be ERECT (e.g. Polygonum, Fig. 388), HANGING (e.g. Umbelli- 

 ferae, Fig. 380), or horizontal (e.g. Delphinium, Fig. 381). The \ 



Fig. 380. — Ovary of Foeniculum officinale 

 in longitudinal section. (After Berg 

 and Schmidt, magnified.) 



Fig. 381. — Transverse section of an ovary of Delphinium 

 Ajacis, showing ovule placed horizontally ; s, 

 ovule ; p, placenta ; o, wall of ovary ; v, vascular 

 bundles, (x 18.) 



raphe is ventral when it is turned towards the placenta, DORSAL 

 when turned away from it. 



The flower-axis (receptacle, torus) is usually thicker than the 

 flower-stalk, of which it occupies the apex. It frequently expands by 

 intercalary growth between the andrcecium and gynoecium, into a 

 disc, cupular, or urn-shaped body, which affects essentially the general 

 appearance of the flower. In the simplest cases the flower-axis is 

 club-shaped, and the floral whorls succeed each other in tiers. Such 

 flowers are said to be inferior or hypogynous ; their ovaries, superior 

 (Fig. 382). When the axis is developed as a concave receptacle, so 



a/ n I 



Fig. 382. — Hypogynous flower of Ranunculus sccleratus with numerous, superior ovaries borne 

 upon a club-shaped receptacle. (After Baillon, magnified.) 



that the gynoecium is inserted at the same height as the andrcecium 

 or lower, but free and not coalescing with the axis, the flower is 

 perigynous, the ovary half-inferior (Fig. 383, 2); but if the ovary 

 is adherent to the axis, it is described as inferior ; the flower as 

 superior or epigynous (Fig. 383, 3). Only the internal portion of an 

 inferior ovary formed by the carpels is accordingly homologous, with a 

 superior or half-inferior ovary. Transitional forms between these 



