34 



SINGULAR STRUCTURES. 



coloured, the leaves often take a colour, as in Amaranthus Tri- 

 color. 



In most plants the Stamina and Petals are inserted into the 

 receptacle, in the bottom of the flower ; but the plants of the class 

 Icosandria* have a monophyllous calyx, the inner side of which 

 is girt with a line, into which the stamina and petals are fastened ; 

 and the calyx is also observed to support the flowers in some other 

 plants, as in Lythrum, Epilobium, (Enothera, Ammania, Is- 

 narda, Peplis, and El;eagnus. In some plants the receptacle 

 is lined on all sides with the perianthium, and the corolla adheres 

 to the perianthium as though it were glued to it ; this is found in 

 the cucurbitaceousf plants, such as Cucurbita, Passiflora, Fe-^ 

 vill.ea, Momordica, Trichosanthes, Cucumis, Bryonia, Si- 

 cyos, Melothria, and Gronovia; the same is also observed in 

 Cactus. In some others there is a receptacle that elevates the 

 pericarpium, as in Passiflora, Capparis, Breynia, Arum, Calla, 

 Dracontium, Pothos, Zostera, Nepenthes, Clutia, Helic- 

 teres, and Sisyrinchium. 



In monopetalous flowers the stamina are usually inserted into 

 the petal, but they are separate from it in the plantce bicomesl, 

 viz. in Ledum, Azalea, Andromeda, Clethra, Erica, Myrsine, 

 Memecylum, Santalum, Vaccinium, Arbutus, Royena, Dios- 

 pyros, Melastoma, and Pyrola ; they are separate also in Cis~ 

 sus and Aloe. In polypetalous flowers the stamina are usually 

 separate from the petals. But this also has a few exceptions ; for 

 in the Statice, which is pentapetalous, the filaments are insert- 

 ed hi the claws of the petals; in Melanthium, which is hexa- 

 petalous, they are inserted in the petals ; and in the Lychnis, which 

 is pentapetalous, as also in Saponaria, Cucubalus, Silene, and 

 Agrostemma, which were formerly ranged with the Lychnis, 

 every other stamen is fastened to the claws of the petals. 



The Anthers are commonly placed on the tops of the fila- 

 ments : but they stick close to the sides of the filaments in Pa- 



* See Part II. Chap. XV. 



f So called from their affinity to the cucurbita. 



% Having two horns ; these plants have been so called from their bifid Anther*. 



