ESSENTIAL ORGANS— STAMENS. 



217 



Pig. 343. 



into a point like an awl, as in Butomus umbellatus ; and at other 



times it is clwvate (clava, a club), or narrow below and broad above, 



like the club of Hercules, as in Thalictrum. In place of tapering, it 



happens, in some instances, as in Tamarix gallica (fig. 



343), Peganum Harmala, and Campanula, that the base 



of the filament is dilated much, and ends suddenly in 



a narrow thread-like portion. In these cases the base 



may represent the sheath or vagina of the petiole, and, 



like it, may give off stipulary processes in a lateral 



direction. Sometimes the filament is forked, or divided 



at the apex into branches or teeth. In Allium and 



Alyssum calycinum there are three teeth, the central 



one of which bears the anther. In the common garlic 



one of the lateral teeth is somewhat cirrose. 



The filament varies much in length and in firmness. The length 

 sometimes bears a relation to that of the pistil, and to the position of 

 the flower, whether erect or drooping. The filament is usually of suf- 

 ficient solidity to support the anther in an erect position ; but some- 

 times, as in Grasses, Littorella, and Plantago, it is very delicate and 

 capillary (capillus, a hair), or hair-like, so that the anther is pendulous. 

 The filament is usually cnntinuous from one end to the other, but in 

 some cases it is bent or jointed, becoming geniculate (genu, a knee) ; at 

 other times, as in the Pellitory, it is spiral. It is frequently colourless ; 

 but, in many instances, it exhibits different colours. In Fuchsia and 

 Poinciana, it is red ; in Adamia and Tradescantia virginica, blue ; in 

 (Enothera and Ranunculus acris, yellow. 



Hairs, scales, teeth, or processes of different kinds are sometimes 

 developed on the filament. In Tradescantia 

 virginica, or Spiderwort, the hairs are beauti- 

 fully coloured, and moniliform (monile, a 

 neoldace) or necklace-like. These hairs 

 exhibit movements of rotation (p. 153). Such 

 a filament is bearded or stupose (stupa, tow). 

 At the base of the filament certain glandular 

 or scaly appendages are occasionally pro- 

 duced, either on its internal or external sur- 

 face. These may be either parts of a whorl, 

 to be afterwards noticed under the name 

 of the Disk, or separate prolongations from 

 the filament itself. In fig. 345, a represents 

 such a staminiferous appendage found on the 



Kg. 843. Three out of ten stamens of Tamarix gallica, united together by the dilated 

 hases of their iilaments. Kg. 344. Stamen of Borago offloinalia. /, Appendioulate fila- 



ment, a, Appendage prolonged in the form of a horn-like process. I, Lobes of the anther. 

 Kg. 346. Stamen of Zygophyllum Fabago. /, Filament, connected with a broad scaly 



Fig. 344. 



Fig. 345. 



