292 Of Flowers. 
But where the feeds are contained in the apices, a ftilus 
or little column ftands upon the top of the true feed-cafe, 
which is alfo regularly and varioufly figured. In bind¬ 
weed it hath a round head like that of a great pin. Ill 
the common bell, St. Johnwort, &c. it is divided into 
three parts. In gerarium into five ; in afarum into fix; 
fometimes the head is fmooth, and in others it is befet 
with little thorns, as in hyofcyamus. 
The piftil is a little upright part in the middle of the 
calx, or the leaves of flowers, called alfo the ftyle. 
It is an effential part of a flower, and the principal 
female organ of generation, it being in this that the 
feeds or young plants are formed. It arifes from the 
pedicle of the flower, or the center of the calx, and at 
length becomes the young fruit, which is fometimes hid 
in the calx, and fometimes quite out. 
Its figure is very different in different flowers; in 
fome it is a little ftalk, which enlarges at the two ends, 
in others a mere ftamen or thread, fometimes it is round, 
fometimes fquare, triangular, oval, &c. 
Almoft all piftils are furniftied at top, either with fine 
hairs, or little filaments difpofed in plumes, or are befet 
with little veficles full of a glutinous juice. 
Some flowers have feveral piftils, or rather the piftils 
terminate in feveral branches, which have their rife from 
as many young fruits, or as many capfulse containing 
feeds. 
Whatever form the piftils are in, they have certain 
apertures at their tops, or clefts, continued their whole 
length, to the bafe or embrio of the fruit. 
The feed veffels confifts fometimes of two, and for the 
raoft part of three pieces; for which reafon they are 
called fuits, as at a b c d, fig. 52,7. 
The 
