•254 
BOTANY. 
4. Spatha, a soil of calyx growing from 
the stalk, bursting lengthways, and protrud- 
ing a spadix, supporting one or more flowers, 
which have often no perianthium. It con- 
sists either of one leaf, with a valve on one 
side only, as in the greater number of spa- 
thaceous plants ; or of two leaves, with two 
valves, as in stratiotes, &c. or is imbricated, 
as in rnusa, &c. with one or two valves. 
5. Gluma, a husk, chiefly belongs to com 
and grasses, consisting of one, two, three, or 
more valves, folding over each other like 
scales, and frequently terminated by a long, 
stiff, pointed prickle, called the arista. 
6. Calyptra, the proper calyx of mosses, 
is placed over the anthera: of' the stamina, 
resembling an extinguisher, a hood, or monk’s 
eowl. 
7. Yolva, so named from its infolding, is 
the proper calyx of funguses, being membra- 
naceous, and surrounding the stalk, before 
their expansion. 
It is often difficult to distinguish the calyx 
from the bractes, which are found on many 
plants, situated on the flower-stalks : and are 
often so near to the lower parts of the fruc- 
tification as to be mistaken for the calyx, as 
in tilia, passiflora, & c. but they may be best 
distinguished by this rule ; the bracteat differ 
in shape and colour from the other leaves of 
the plant, but are commonly of the same 
duration ; whereas the calyx always withers 
when the fruit is ripe, if not before. 
II. The corolla is the termination of the 
inner bark of the plant ; which accompanies 
the fructification, in the form of leaves vari- 
ously coloured. It is generally seated on the 
receptacle, sometimes on the calyx ; serving 
as an inner work of defence to the part it in- 
closes; as the calyx, which is usuallv of 
stronger texture, does for an outer. 'The 
leaves of the corolla are called petals ; by 
the number, division, and shape of which, it is 
distinguished. It is said' to be inferior or be- 
low, when it includes the germen, and is at- 
tached to the part immediately below it, as 
in borage, &c. and it is said to be superior or 
above, when it is placed above the germen, 
as in cratargus, Sc c. In respect to duration, 
the corolla either continues till the fruit is 
ripe, as in nymphxa ; or falls off at the first 
opening of the flower, as in actaca ; or with 
the stamina and other parts of the flower, as 
in most plants ; or does not tall, but withers, 
jas in campanula, Sec. 
The nectarium, Linnaeus says, principally 
belongs to the corolla, as an appendage to the 
petals : and contains the honey, which is the 
principal food of bees and other insects. But 
though, in plants where it is found, it may be 
attached to the corolla, and be then most 
evident ; yet it is almost as often attached to 
other parts of the fructification t Linnaeus 
therefore chiefly makes use of it as an essen- 
tial character in many of the genera, as being 
less variable than others ; and observes, that 
when it is not united with the substance of 
the petals, those plants are generally poison- 
ous: the tube or lower part of monopetalous 
flowers, he considers as a true nectarium, 
because it contains a sweet liquor. But as it 
affords very singular varieties in other in- 
stances, it lias the following distinctions. 
1. Cal) cine nectaria, such as are situated 
upon, and make a part of, the calyx ; as in 
tropaiolun), monotropa, Sec. 
2 , Cqrollaccous nectaria are attached to 
the corolla, and are called calcariate when 
they resemble a spur. They are either on 
flowers of one petal, as in valeriana, tkc. or 
on flowers of many petals, as in viola, Sec. or 
within the substance of the petals, as in lilium, 
iris, &c. 
3. Stamineous nectaria attend the stamina, 
and are either seated upon the antherae, as 
in adenanthera; or upon the filaments, as in 
laurus, &c. 
4. Pistil laceous nectaria accompany the 
pistillum, and are placed upon the germen, 
as in hyacinthus, butomus, &c. 
5. Keceptaculaceous nectaria join the re- 
ceptacle, as in polygonum, sedum. See, 
6. Nectaria that crown the corolla, are 
placed in a row within the petals, though en- 
tirely unconnected with their substance, as 
in silene, See. and in this situation often re- 
semble a cup, as in narcissus, &c. 
7. Nectaria of singular construction, are 
such as cannot properly be placed under any 
of the foregoing distinctions, as in amomum, 
curcuva, saliva, urtica. Sec. The proper use 
of the nectarium, is not yet discovered. 
111. The stamina, or chives, are the males 
of the flower, proceeding from the wood of 
the plant. Each stamen consists of two parts, 
viz. the filament and the antherae. In most 
flowers they are placed upon (lie receptacle, 
within the corolla, and round the germen ; 
and are chiefly distinguished by number. 
1 . The filament is the thread-shaped part 
of the stamen, serving as a footstalk to elevate 
the antherae, and sometimes has jags or di- 
visions; which are either two, as in salvia; 
three, as in fumaria; or nine, as in t he class 
diadelphia. They are also distinguished by 
their form or figure, as awl-shaped, thread- 
shaped, hair-like, spiral, revolute. Sec. by 
their proportion, as equal, unequal, irregular, 
long, or short: and by their situation, being 
generally opposite to the leaves or divisions 
of the calyx, and alternate with the petals ; 
that is, when the divisions of the calyx are 
equal in number to the petals, and to the 
stamina. In monopetalous flowers they are 
generally inserted into the corolla; but 
scarcely ever in flowers of more than one 
petal, but into the receptacle: yet in the 
class icosandria they are inserted into the 
calyx or corolla (though the flowers have 
many petals), as also in a few other plants. 
But in the class polyandria, and most other 
polvpetalous plants, they are inserted into 
the receptacle, like the calyx and corolla. 
The class gvnandria, however, is an excep- 
tion to the above rules, where the stamina 
are sometimes without filaments. 
2 . The anthera, from «v0oj, a flower, em- 
phatically so called from its great utility in 
the fructification, is the top of the filament, 
containing the impregnating pollen ; and is 
either one to each filament, as in most plants ; 
or one common to three filaments, as in cu- 
curbita, & c. or one common to five filaments, 
as in the class syngenesia : or sometimes 
there are two antherae to each filament, as in 
ranunculus and mercurialis; three to each 
filament, as in fumaria ; five to three fila- 
ments, as in bryonia ; or five to each, as in 
theobroma. The anthera is also distinguish- 
ed by its form or figure, as oblong, round, 
angular, Sec. It consists of one or more 
cells, which burst different lv in different 
parts ; either in the side, as in most plants ; 
on the top ; or from the top to the base. It 
is also fastened to the top of the filament % 
either by its base, as in most plants ; or hori- 
zontally by its middle to the top of the 
filament, so poised as to turn like a vane: or 
it is fixed by its side, leaning to the top of the 
filament, then called incumbent. Sometimes 
it grows to the nectarium, as in costus; to 
the receptacle, as in arum ; or to the pistil- 
lum, in the class gynandria. 
IV. The pistillum, or the female of the 
flower, proceeding from the pith of the plant, 
is that erect column which is generally placed 
in the centre of the flower, amidst the sta- 
mina ; and consists of three parts, the ger- 
men, the style, and the stigma. 
1. The germen is the base of the pistillum, 
supporting the style. After some time, ic 
becomes a seed-vessel, and may therefore be 
considered as the rudiment of "the pericarpi- 
um. It is distinguished by its shape, number, 
and situation ; and is said to be above or be- 
low, according to its situation above or below 
the attachment of the corolla. 
2. 1 he style elevates the stigma from the 
germen, to receive the influence of the 
stamina, and to convey it down to the ger- 
men as through a tube. It is distinguished 
either by its number, which, when present 
(pr when absent, the number of stigmata) 
gives rise to most of the orders, and are call- 
ed so many females ; or by its divisions, 
being double, treble, or quadruple, &c. 
though joined at the base; or by its length, 
being longer, shorter, or equal with the sta- 
mina; or by its proportion, being thicker or 
thinner than the stamina; or by its figure, 
being regular, cylindric, awl-shaped, bent. 
Sec.’, or by its situation, being generally ou 
the top of the germen, though in some in- 
stances supposed to be both above and be- 
low, as in capparis and euphorbia; unless 
the lower part in these genera are considered 
as the extension of the receptacle. It is 
often placed on the side of the germen, as 
in hirlella, suriana ; also in rosa, i ubus, and 
the rest oi the plants in the class icosandria 
and order polygynia W ith respect to du- 
ration, it generally falls with the other parts 
of the flower ; but in some plants it is per- 
manent, and attends the fruit to its maturity, 
as in the class letradynamia. In flowers 
which have no style, the stigma adheres to 
the germen. 
3. 'Lhe stigma, when single, is generally 
placed like a head on the summit of the 
style: when several, they are placed on the 
top, or regularly disposed along the side ; 
and covered with moisture, to retain the 
pollen of the anthera'. It is distinguished 
either by its number, being single in most 
plants; or by its divisions, figure, length, 
thickness, or duration ; as in most plants it 
withers when the germen is become a seed- 
vessel ; in some it is permanent, as in pa- 
paver. 
V. The pericarpium is the germen 
grown to maturity, and become a matrix. 
All plants, however, arc not. furnished with a 
seed-vessel, as corylus, &c. In many, it is 
supplied chiefly by the calyx, which conver- 
ging incloses the seeds till they arrive at ma- 
turity ; as is the case with the rough-leaved 
plants, and the labial and compound flowers 
of the classes pentandria, didynamia, and 
syngenesia. Sometimes the receptacle sup- 
plies the office of seed-vessel, as in gundelia ; 
and sometimes the nectarium, as in cures. 
