ANGIOSPERMS. 
567 
into the interior, may be regarded as the prolongations of the margins of the carpels 
downwards on the inside of the ovary. A similar explanation may be given of the 
longitudinal dissepiments of the multilocular inferior ovary ; the same differences 
occur in them as those which have already been described in the case of the 
superior ovary; for they may either meet in the middle and bear the ovules in 
the axile angles of the loculi (Fig. 358), or they may split into two lamellae, bend 
back, and bear the ovules in the middle of the cavity of the loculus (as in Cucur- 
bitaceae). Usually two, three, or more carpels share in the formation of the upper 
part of the inferior ovary, their elongated margins being prolonged inwards and 
developing downwards into the parietal placentae or the dissepiments of the multi- 
locular ovary. In such cases the inferior ovary must be termed polycarpellary, like 
Fig. 393.— /-^^// stag-es of development of the flower of 
Helianthus anmcus; I calj-x, c corolla, yfilaiiients, a anthers, 
X basal portion which afterwards developes into the lower 
part of the tube of the corolla which bears the epipetalous 
stamens, fK the inferior ovary, SK the ovule, k carpel, 
gr style. 
I-'IG. 394. — ^—Z> stages of development of the flower of 
Calanthe veratrifolia (after Payer) ; A and C seen from above, 
B and D in longitudinal section, s sepals, / petals, pi the 
petal which developes into the labellum, «ythe single fertile 
anther, ae and ni abortive anthers of the outer and inner 
whorl ; m R as are the sterile stamens, in D ep one of the 
three carpels. 
the superior ovary of similar structure. Examples of a monocarpellary inferior ovary 
appear to be very rare ; Hippuris (Fig. 360) affords one ; its inferior ovary consists 
of a single carpel, and contains a sohtary anatropous pendulous ovule. 
The Style is a prolongation of the carpel above the ovary ; in monocarpellary 
ovaries there is therefore only one style (Figs. 382, 384), which may however be 
branched ; when the ovary is polycarpellary, the style consists of as many parts as 
there are carpellary leaves ; these parts may be free for the whole distance above 
the ovary (Fig. 386), or coherent for a certain distance above it, separating only at 
a greater height; or, finally, they may cohere for their whole length (Figs. 388. 
390). Although the style arises from the apex of the young carpel, it may subse- 
quently stand on the axile side of the monocarpellary ovary, the carpel becoming 
considerably bulged outwards by the more rapid growth of the dorsal side of the 
