100 THE STRUCTURE OF FLOWERS. 



Just as the two complete vascular cylinders 6f two separate 

 floral peduncles can become fused into one oval cylinder when 

 the latter are " fasciated," so, too, would it seem that the cords 

 belonging to the separate parts of a floral whorl, where there 

 is no receptacular tube, can form a single united cylinder, 

 which one then designates as the receptacular tube. 



In the case of the inferior ovary, 1 would again emphasize 

 the fact that the difficulty felt as to what is axial and what 

 carpellary is entirely removed if the undifferentiated con- 

 dition of the carpels be thoroughly understood. Indeed, 

 whenever two organs are congenitally in union the epidermis 

 of each is undeveloped, and the two mesophyls become one ; 

 so that the dorsal cords of the carpels and those proper 

 to the axis are alike plunged into a common tissue, which, 

 regarded as one, is neither wholly axial nor wholly carpeUary. 



