96 



GARDENING- FOR THE SOUTH. 



FLAX FLOWER. 



bridizing is when two distinct species are made to form a 

 union, while crossing is where the same takes place with 

 varieties of the same species. To make the matter plain, 

 we must give the structure of the flower. The organs 



concerned in the produc- 

 tion of the fruit or seed 

 are the stamens, whicli 

 correspond to the male 

 organs, and the pistil or 

 pistils, which are the 

 female organs. These 

 two are for the most part 

 in one flower, and differ 

 greatly in number in the 

 different families. The simplest case is where both kinds 

 are in one flower, as in fig. 39, which represents a flower 

 of the flax split down, to show the arrangement of its 

 parts. In figure 40 all of the flower is removed, except 

 the stamens and pistil, which are en- 

 larged. The central body is the pistil, 

 and is surrounded by five stamens, which 

 are shorter. It will be seen that each 

 stamen is composed of two parts; a 

 slender portion, the filament, which bears 

 a two-lobed body, the anther, which pro- 

 duces a fine fertilizing powder, the pollen. 

 The pistil has an enlarged base, the ovary, 

 which contains the ovules, which are to 

 become seeds ; above this is usually a Fig. 40.— stamens 



1 ri !. J 7 mi , -I AND PISTILS. 



prolonged portion, the style. The styles 

 may be one or several ; in the case of the flax there are 

 five, each one of which is surmounted by a stigma, that 

 part which receives the fertilizing powder, or pollen. 



The stamens and pistils are not always found together 

 in the same flower. In Indian corn they are separated, 

 but on the same plant the tassel containing the stamens 



