JULY. 
15 
(stigma), which is soft and humid, for the purpose of retaining the pollen when 
discharged from the anthers. 
Now, if you make a trans¬ 
verse section of the ovary 
(Jig. 4), you will find that it 
consists of two distinct cavi¬ 
ties, separated from each other 
by a partition, on each surface 
of which is a sort of lining 
called the placenta or seed- 
bearer, which is covered with 
a multitude Of Small seeds, Fig. 3.—Pistil and calyx of 
deriving their nutriment from the SDapdlcScm * 
it by means of a slender stalk or thread, called a 
funiculus or umbilical cord. This 
arrangement is not seen very dis¬ 
tinctly except with the aid of a magnifying glass in young 
flowers, but in a fully-developed ovary it may easily be observed 
with the naked eye. 
Take the Pea ( fig. 5), as our next illustration./ In all the 
preceding flowers (the Melon excepted), you must have observed 
that the stamens and the corolla take their rise on the support 
of the flower. 
Fig. 2.—Corolla of the Snapdragon 
spread open to show stamens. 
Fig. 4.—Section of 
the ovary of the 
Snapdragon. 
Fig. 5.—The Pea (Pisum sativum). 
In the Com- 
frey and the Snapdragon 
the stamens are united with 
the corolla; but as this 
takes its rise in the support 
the same origin is attribu¬ 
table to the stamens when 
they are united with that 
organ. In the Pea we find 
the stamens and the petals 
are inserted on the calyx 
or exterior envelope. Take 
a flower that is just about 
to open ; the calyx will 
present five green, pointed, 
irregular leaves; the two 
superior are broad and 
spreading; the three in¬ 
ferior are narrow and near 
together. These leaves or 
divisions are not free in all 
their length, for they are- 
united by their base. Cut 
off with a pair of fine scis¬ 
sors their free portion, and 
there will remain nothing 
but a small green border. 
You will see then that it is 
at the rim of this border 
from which the petals of 
the corolla take their rise. 
These petals are encased as it were one within the other ; and to be able fully 
h 2 
