144 
PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY 
fallen, sometimes even until the fruit matures — in either case it is 
said to be persistent. If it falls with the corolla and stamens, it is de- 
cidous, and if when the flower opens, caducous, as in the Poppy and 
May-apple. It often more or less envelops the ovary or base of the 
pistil, and it is important, in plant analysis, to note the presence or 
absence of such a condition, which is indicated in a description by the 
terms inferior, or non-adherent (hypogynous), when free from the 
ovary and inserted upon the receptacle beneath it (the most simple 
and primitive position); half-superior, or half-adherent (perigynous), 
when it partially envelops the ovary, as in the Cherry; superior or 
adherent (epigynous), when it completely envelops it, as in the 
Colocynth, etc. 
Sepaline Spurs. — Occasionally some or all of the sepals may 
become pouched and at length spurred as nectar receptacles or as 
receptacles for other parts that are nectariferous. Thus, in Cru- 
cifers we occasionally see a slight pouching of the two lateral sepals. 
These act as nectar pouches for the nectar secreted by the knobs or 
girdles surrounding the short lateral stamens. These become deep 
pouches in Lunaria while in others the pouches become elongated 
spurs. Again, in Delphinium, the posterior sepal forms an elongated 
spur into which pass the two spurred nectariferous petals. In 
Aconitum the same sepal, instead of being spurred, forms an enlarged 
hood-like body (galea) arching over the flower like a helmet; into this 
pass the two hammer-shaped nectariferous petals. 
Sepaline Stipules.- — These structures are well developed and easily 
traceable in the more primitive herbaceous members of the Rose 
family. Thus in Potentilla, Fragaria, Geum, etc., in addition to the 
normal calyx of five sepals, there is a supplementary epicalyx also of 
five parts. The five lobes of the epicalyx may be as large or larger 
than the sepals or smaller up to the disappearing point. Upon 
examining a few flowers of Potentilla or Fragaria, it will be observed 
that not infrequently one, sometimes two lobes of the epicalyx are 
bifid, or deeply cleft, or separated completely into two parts. The 
explanation is that the five sepals after evolving in the flower bud 
form at their bases two lateral swellings or sepaline stipules, which, as 
they grow, fuse in adjacent pairs, one stipule of one sepal joining 
with the adjacent stipule of another sepal to form five lobes. 
