114 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



each represent different whorls of leaves, but whicli are 

 not separated by sections of the stem as leaves are. The 

 pistils, therefore, are supposed to occupy the very end of 

 the stem ; but as the other organs of the flower are borne 

 so close to it, this tip of the stem often takes on peculiar 

 shapes to accomodate them and is then called the recepta- 

 cle. One may see a good example of the receptacle in the 

 cone-shaped object on which the red raspberrj^ is borne. 

 In the strawberry the receptacle is lengthened to give 

 room for the numerous pistils, but unlike the raspberry it 

 does not separate from the fruit at maturit3^ The top- 

 shaped affair in which the seeds of the American lotus 

 (Nelumbium) is immersed is regarded as a receptacle, and 

 the centre of the magnolia's cone of fruit is also of this 

 nature while that of the tulip tree's fruit is very noticeable 

 in winter after the seeds have separated from it. The re- 

 ceptacle, however, is not always lengthened. Sometimes 

 its purpose is served by its becoming cup-shaped or in- 

 verted as in the rose where the pistils are sunk in such a 

 cup and the other organs of the flower perched on its rim. 



Occasionally the rim becomes thick- 

 ened, forming what is known as a 

 disk such as the eight-angled organ in 

 the maple flower (fig. 10). Nectar is 

 very frequently secreted about these 

 disks, and in some instances it would 

 appear that the production of nectar 

 10. Fiower of maple is their chief function. Nectar, how- 

 enlarged showing disk. ^^^^^ .g pi-oduced by many parts of the 

 flower besides the disk and when fragrance is associated 

 with it, it is probably exhaled by the parts that produce 

 the nectar. 



Tiring a Leaf. — A large cecropia moth which came 

 out of its cocoon in the editor's study a few days ago, 

 was given a perch on a geranium leaf in the window. For 

 some time the leaf held its bulky burden erect, but gradu- 

 ally the petiole began to droop until it pointed down- 

 ward. When the moth flew away the leaf slowly regained 

 its normal position. 



