86 



THE FLOWER 



These parts are readily seen in the pod of a pea (Fig. 37), 

 which bears considerable resemblance to a folded green leaf. 



The gynsecium may consist of separate carpels as in the 

 buttercup, in which case it is said to be apocarpous. Frequently 

 the carpels are united and then form what is termed a syncarpous 

 gynaecium (2, Fig. 38). The amount of union among the carpels 

 varies, but very frequently their ovaries are completely united to 

 form one common ovary : in such cases the styles are generally 

 united to form one common style, the corresponding stigmas 

 usually remaining free. When the carpels of the syncarpous 



-5 



*" -t 



c 



Fig. 33. — I. Gynsecium, consisting of a single carpel. 

 7' Ventral suture ; o ovules ; t style ; j stigma. 2. Syncarpous 

 gynaecium, consisting of three completely united carpels. 

 o Ovary ; i style ; s stigma. 3. Transverse section of a syn- 

 carpous gynfficium which is unilocular, c The extent of one of 

 the component car[]els ; the ovules are on parietal placentas. 

 4._ Transverse section of a syncarpous gynfficium which is 

 trilocular. / A loculus ; d a partition or dissepiment ; c the 

 extent of a single component carpel ; the ovules are on axile 

 placentas. 



gynsecium are united by their edges as at 3, Fig. 38 the ovary 

 possesses only one cavity or loculus, and is said to be unilocular. 

 In other examples the carpels are folded so that their edges meet 

 in the middle of the ovary, the united parts forming partitions or 

 dissepiments dividing up the common ovary into several cavities 

 (4, Fig. 38) ; such ovaries are described as multilocular, and each 

 loculus corresponds to a single carpel. 



Occasionally the number of loculi inside an ovary does not 



