OUTLINES OF BOTANY. 
XVII 
the perfect pistil there is always at least one ovule in the ovary, and some portion of 
stigmatic surface. Without these the pistil is imperfect, and said to be barren (not 
setting seed), abortive , or rudimentary (84), according to the degree of imperfection. 
123. The ovary being the essential part of the pistil, most of the terms relating to 
the number, arrangement, etc., of the carpels, apply specially to their ovaries. In some 
works each separate carpel is called a pistil, all those of a flower constituting together 
the gynoecium ; but this term is in little use, and the word pistil is more generally 
applied in a collective sense. When the ovaries are at all united, they are commonly 
termed collectively a compound ovary. 
124. The number of carpels or ovaries in a flower is frequently reduced below that 
of the parts of the other floral whorls, even in flowers otherwise symmetrical. In a 
very few genera, however, the ovaries are more numerous than the petals, or indefinite. 
They are in that case either arranged in a single whorl, or form a head or spike in the 
centre of the flower. 
125. The terms monogynous, digynous, polygynous, etc. (with a pistil of one, two, or 
more parts), are vaguely used, applying sometimes to the whole pistil, sometimes to the 
ovaries alone, or to the styles or stigmas only. Where a more precise nomenclature is 
adopted, the flower is 
monocarpellary , when the pistil consists of a single simple carpel. 
bi-, tri-, etc., to poly-carpellary, when the pistil consists of two, three, or an inde- 
finite number of carpels, whether separate or united. 
syncarpous, when the carpels or their ovaries are more or less united into one 
compound ovary. 
apocarpous, when the carpels or ovaries are all free and distinct. 
126. A compound ovary is 
unilocular or one-celled, when there are no partitions between the ovules, or when 
these partitions do not meet in the centre so as to divide the cavity into several cells. 
plurilocular or several-celled, when completely divided into two or more cells by 
partitions called dissepiments {septa), usually vertical and radiating from the centre or 
axis of the ovary to its circumference. 
bi-, tri-, etc., to multi-locular, according to the number of these cells, two, three, 
etc., or many. 
127. In general the number of cells or of dissepiments, complete or partial, or of 
rows of ovules, corresponds with that of the carpels, of which the pistil is composed. 
But sometimes each carpel is divided completely or partially into two cells, or has two 
rows of ovules, so that the number of carpels appears double what it really is. Some- 
times again the carpels are so completely combined and reduced as to form a single cell, 
with a single ovule, although it really consist of several carpels. But in these cases the 
ovaryis usually described as it appears, as well as such as it is theoretically supposed to be. 
128. In apocarpous pistils the styles are usually free, each bearing its own stigma. 
Very rarely the greater part of the styles, or the stigmas alone, are united, whilst the 
ovaries remain distinct. 
129. Syncarpous flowers are said to have 
several styles, when the styles are free from the base. 
one style, ivith several branches , when the styles are connected at the base, but 
separate below the point where the stigmas or stigmatic surfaces commence. 
one simple style, with several stigmas, when united up to the point where the 
stigmas or stigmatic surfaces commence, and then separating. 
one simple style, with a branched, lobed, toothed, notched, or entire stigma (as the 
ease may be), when the stigmas also are more or less united. In many works, how- 
ever, this precise nomenclature is not strictly adhered to, and considerable confusion is 
often the result. 
130. In general the number of styles, or brandies of the style or stigma, is the same 
as that of the carpels, but sometimes that number is doubled, especially in the stigmas, 
and sometimes the stigmas are dichotomously or pinnately branched, or penicillate, 
that is, divided into a tuft of hair-like branches. All these variations sometimes make 
it a difficult task to determine the number of carpels forming a compound ovary, but 
the point is of considerable importance in fixing the affinities of plants, and, by careful 
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