THE GYNCECIUM. 59 



Dehiscence op the anther 



' Longitudinal. 

 Transverse. 

 Porous. 

 Valvular. 



THE GYNCECIUM. 

 ' The Gynoecium is the inner series of the essential organs 

 occupying the centre of the flower, and it is composed 

 of one or more usually sac-like organs called Carpels. 

 Although the carpels are mostly sac-like as in the Mume 

 and Sakura, yet in a few cases they are open and scale-like 

 as in the species of Pinus and they are consequently called 

 Open or Gymnospermous Carpels. (See Fig. 127.) 



Parts of the Carpel. — The ordinary uncombined 

 carpel is made up of the lamina of a leaf, both halves of 

 which are incurved lengthwise and united by their margins. 

 Thus a flask-shaped organ is formed : its inflated lower 

 portion is called the Ovary ; its prolonged neck-like portion, 

 the Style ; and its usually dilated rough apex, the Stigma 

 (Fig. 55). The cavity of the ovary is termed its Cell, the 

 line formed by the union of the leaf-margins the Inner or 

 Ventral Suture, and the line corresponding to the midrib of 

 the leaf the Outer or Dorsal Suture. 



Usually the interior surface of the inner suture projects 

 more or less and bears one or more minute bodies ; the pro- 

 jecting portion is called the Placenta, and the minute bodies, 

 which become Seeds when fully ripe, are called Ovules. 



As the ovary and stigma are the essential parts of the 

 carpel they are always present, but sometimes the style is 

 fronting. 



Parts of the carpel 



Ovary — Ovule. 



Style. 



Stigma. 



