BOTANY. 



165 



fold towards the centre of the flower, and are united, at least 

 in all the isolated carpels. The filament which supports them 

 is called the funiculus', the point of the junction of the funi- 

 cle and ovule, the hilum. Before expansion, the ovules pre- 

 sent the appearance of pulpy excrescences without envelope 

 or aperture ; a little while afterwards the culminating point 

 is pierced, and we distinguish a small ovoid body {nucleus) 

 enveloped at its base by two membranes, the exterior called 

 primine, the interior secondine ; the common point of union 

 of these two membranes is at the base of the ovary and is 

 called the chalaza; the primine and secondine do not entirely 

 cover the nucleus, but leave at the apex a round aperture 

 called the foramen sometimes; the raphe is a line or ridge 

 passing from the ovule to the chalaza, being the upper portion 

 of the funiculus attached to the face of the ovule ; the aper- 

 ture of the primine is termed the exostome, and that of the 

 secondine the endostome. This time of the greatest expan- 

 sion of the foramen coincides with that of the fall of the 

 pollen upon the stigma, so that the pollenous grains, travers- 

 ing the cells of the style, may reach the interior of the ovules, 

 and fecundate them ; after which it contracts and closes en- 

 tirely when the ovule becomes a seed. 



The Style. 



The superior prolongation of the germen, much narrower 

 than it, and often as fine as a thread. When the carpels are 

 united, the styles or stigmata, or even both, are often likewise 

 united, and this part may even be wanting. 



Stigma. 



A naked point without epidermis or cellular tissue, and 

 bedewed with a viscous humour which it secretes. It pos- 

 sesses the property of absorbing liquids, especially the fovilla. 



