from the corolla, founded upon the position of the 
stamens. The stamens alternate with the segments of 
the corolla, but face the segments of the calyx. This 
rule holds good in many cases, but is not universal. 
They face the corolla in the Lily, unless with Jussieu, 
we call the single envelope a calyx. Sometimes the 
stamens cohere by the filaments ; if in one set, they are 
monadelphous ; if in two sets, they are diadelphous ; 
if in more than two sets, they are polydelplious. 
Sometimes they cohere by the anthers, as in the nine- 
teenth class of Linnaeus, and then they are said to be 
syngenesious. 
Stigma. — The stigma is the upper extremity or summit of the 
style, or pistil, or metamorphosed leaf, out of which 
the pistil or carpellum is formed. It is without a cu- 
ticle, and is hence either humid or papillose. 
Stings. — Stings are awl-shaped processes, originating in the cu- 
ticle of the leaf or stem, and discharging a venomous 
fluid when pressed, as in the common nettle. 
Stipe. — The trunk that supports the pileus of the Fungi, is de- 
nominated the stipe — stipes. 
Stipules. — The stipules, stipulae, are small appendages at- 
tached to the base of the leaf-stalk of many plants, 
and resembling leaves in miniature. 
Stomata. — The small and minute openings that occur in the 
cuticle of the leaves of many plants, occupying the 
area of the meshes, and formerly known by the name 
of pores or apertures, are now by the general consent 
of botanists, denominated stomata. No one, as we be- 
lieve, has found Stomata in the root of any plant, and 
but rarely in fleshy fruits or bulbs, or in the submersed 
parts of aquatics, or in plants destitute of tracheae, or 
of flowers. 
Straw. — The Straw or culm, culmus, is the trunk of the 
Grasses, Rushes, Sedges, and of several other plants 
nearly allied to them. In its figure it is generally 
cylindrical, as in wheat and barley ; but in some plants 
it is triangular, as in Schaenus and Cyperus. In its 
structure it is hollow and jointed, as in the Grasses, or 
solid that is filled with a soft and spongy pith, as in 
the Bull-rush. 
Striated.— M arked with parallel lines. 
Strobile. — The Strobile is an indurated amentum, the car- 
pella of which are scale-like, covering naked seeds. 
Standard. — The upper petal of a papilionaceous flower which 
is generally large, with an erect border, is denomi- 
nated the standard. 
Stem. — The stem is the trunk of trees, and of the greater part 
of herbs. It is cylindrical and tapering, as in the Oak 
and Elm ; or compressed a$ is flat-stalked Pondweed ; 
or quadrangular, as in Scrophularia ; or jointed, as 
in the Pink. It is also further distinguished as being 
simple or compound, solid or tubular, upright or nod- 
ding, creeping, climbing, twining. Of these varieties, 
the last three are the most remarkable. First the 
creeping stem, which, being too feeble to support it- 
self in an upright position, extends or creeps horizon- 
tally along the surface of the earth, and sends down 
roots at regular intervals, to extract from the soil new 
supplies of aliment. It is exemplified in Potentilla 
reptans. Secondly, the climbing stem, which, being 
also too feeble to support itself in an upright position, 
attaches itself by means of lateral roots, or of other 
appropriate organs, to other plants, or to other bodies, 
for support, and thus attains to the elevation proper to 
the species. It is exemplified in the Vine and Ivy. 
Thirdly, the twining stem, the most elegant and most 
singular of them all, which, being also too feeble to 
support itself in an upright position, ascends not merely 
by clinging to a prop, but by winding spirally around 
it ; the winding never being effected at random, but 
always in a specific and determinate manner, which is 
always the same in the same species of plants. Thus 
in the Hop plant, Humulus Lupulus, the winding pro- 
ceeds in a direction from left to right, or according to 
the apparent motion of the sun, and never otherwise ; 
while in Convolvulus Sepiuin, or great Bindweed, it 
proceeds in a direction from right to left, or contrary 
to the apparent motion of the sun, and never other- 
wise. If you attempt to compel the stem to reverse its 
mode of winding, you kill the plant. 
Style. — The Style is the middle portion of the Pistil, issuing 
generally from the upper extremity of the ovary, and 
bearing the stigma on its summit. It is deciduous, and 
falls when the ovary is ripe ; or permanent, and 
adheres to the fruit. 
Succulent Threads. — In the centre of the barren flowers 
of the Mosses, and accompanying the presumed 
stamens, there is generally to be found a number of 
jointed and necklace-looking substances which Hedwig 
without determining their functions, denominated 
succulent threads. 
Sucker. — Many plants send out a horizontal root from about 
the collar, which ultimately protrudes a bud that 
emerges into the air and becomes a littte stem, as in 
Syringa. The stem thus produced is a sucker. 
Sulcate. — Impressed with deep parallel lines. 
Superior. — Applied to the corolla when its receptacle is above 
the germen,to the calyx when it is above the germen, 
and to the germen, when it is included in the corolla 
or calyx. 
Suture. — The edges by which two valves unite, are called su- 
tures. In the carpellum, the suture corresponding to 
the midrib is the dorsal suture ; the other, correspon- 
ding to the margins, is the ventral suture. 
Sutural. — A mode of the dehiscence of fruits. See Pericarp. 
