10 
JPRINCIEIA 
■flower, amidst the stamina; and consists' of three parts, the 
germen, the style, and the stigma. 
The Geemen (a bud) is the base of the pistillum, support¬ 
ing the style, and, after a process of nature, becomes a seed- 
vessel ; may therefore be considered as the rudiment of the 
pericarpium; and is distinguished by its shape, number, and 
situation ; and is said to he above or below, according to its 
situation above or below the attachment of the corolla. 
The Style (from stylus, a pillar) is that part which elevates 
the stigma from the germen, in order to receive the influence 
of the stamina, and to convey the effects down to the germen, 
as through a tube. It is distinguished either by its number,* 
which, when present, (or when absent, the number of stig¬ 
mata) gives rise to most of the orders, and are called so many 
females ; or by its divisions (Itemise) being double, treble, or 
quadruple, &c. though joined at the base; or by its length, 
being longer, shorter, or equal with the stamina; or by its 
proportion, being thicker or thinner than the stamina; or by 
its figure, being angular, cylindric, awl-shaped, bent, &c.; or 
by its situation, being generally on the top of the germen, 
though in some instances supposed to be both above and be¬ 
low, as in capparis and euphorbia ; unless the lower part in 
these genera be considered as the extension of the receptacle: 
It is also often placed on the side of the germen, as in hirtella, 
suriana, also in rosa, rub its, and the rest of the plants in the 
class and order icosandria, polygynia. With respect to 
duration, it generally falls with the other part of the flower; 
but in some plants is permanent, and attends the fruit to its 
maturity, as in the class tetradynamia. In flowers which have 
no style, the stigma adheres to the germen. 
* The number of styles, generally speaking, is equal to the number of germina, 
each germen having its own proper style. The compound flowers, in the class 
syngenesia; the cone-bearing plants; rose, ranunculus, and many others, shew 
this to be the natural structure: yet several plants have more than one style to a 
single germen, as in the umbelliferous plants (pentan. digyn.) and many others. 
Some have only one style common to many germens, as the rough-leaved plants 
(pentan. mono.) and most of the lip flowers (didyna. gymnos). Again, there are 
some plants which seem to form a medium between the two latter, the style being 
single at its base, but afterwards branching out into as many ramifications as there 
are divisions or cells in the seed-vessel, as in geranium , and mallow , also m Intis- 
cms, and some others. 
