38'4 VARIOUS PLANT GROUPS 



Most of the gourd family have the andra^cium so curiously 

 developed as to V)e quite variously understood by different 

 botanists. According to the view now most generally adopted 

 there are typically five stamens. In some members of the 

 family (not among the above examples), all five stamens are 

 free, but usually four of them coalesce more or less completely 

 in pairs, forming, as we may say, two double stamens leaving 

 an odd one distinct. In such cases the flowers appear to 

 have but three stamens. Along with this coalescence there 

 goes an extraordinary elongation and bending ' of the pol- 

 len-sacs as shown in Fig. 80 III. In some genera, as for 

 example sciuashes, etc. (Cucurliita), there is a complete 

 coalescence of all the anthers, which are then said to be 

 syngenesious."- 



In this genus and most otlier members of the family, three, 

 much thickened, wedge-shap(>d, parietal placentte almost 

 completely fill the ovary, and bear on their recurved margins 

 an indefinite number of ovules. The seeds as they ripen are 

 imbedded in a soft pulp formed of the placenta?. Around 

 this pulp, in the mature fruit, is a hard rind composed of the 

 rijiened ovary wall and the adhering torus. Such a fruit is 

 called a pcpo.' 



The family is made up mostly of herbaceous vines with wa- 

 tery juice; flowers sfAitary or loosehj elustered, imperfect, reg- 

 ular, gamopetalous or choripetalovs; stamens five, often appear- 

 ing as three through coalescence, and sometimes syngenesious, 

 the pollen-sacs often elongated and bent: ovary inferior with 

 three parietal placentcr , fridt usually a pepo. 



138. The bellflower family (Campanulacege). Examples: 

 Indian tobacco (Figs. 188 I, II, page 201) and bellflower 

 (Fig. 299 II, page 381). 



The formulas of Campanula, Lol^elia, and Campanulace;? are 

 given on pages 41S-421. 



The corolla of Indian tobacco and other species of its genus 



' This bending is expressed in tlio formulas by FA ^ . 



^ Syn"gen-e'sious < Or. xyn, together; genesis, generation. Such 

 coalescenec is symbolized by u small i)arenthe,sis placed after the stamen 

 number and iiliove. 



'■' Pe'pi) < L. pepo, a pumpkin. 7'C.'/ <. 



