How to study wild flowers / by George Henslow.

  • George Henslow
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: How to study wild flowers / by George Henslow. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    stamens adherent to the inner surface of the tube of the corolla (Fig. 35. 2). Another curious condition arises from an altera- tion of the receptacle. As the flower develops it may sometimes be found that the calyx, corolla and stamens stand round the rim of a little disk or cir- cular groove (as in the raspberry); this is lined with a honey-secreting surface ; or it may be cup-shaped (as in the cherry); the rim of the cup now carries the sepals, petals, and stamens. This cup was formerly regarded as being composed of the lower coherent portions of the sepals, so that it received the name of ' calyx-tube,' and the term epiae^Kilous, ' upon the sepals,' was applied to the petals and stamens. It is now regarded as a reveptacidar tube; and as it carries the petals and stamens at some little distance from a position immediately below the pistil, the term perujijnoui^, or ' around the ovary,' is used (Fig. 17. 2). When there is no such expansion of the i-eeeptacle, the petals and stamens arise from the stalk just 'below tlie pistil.' To indicate this position or ' insertion,' the term hypogijiimis is used (Fig. 1. 3). In the centre of the receptacular tube is the pistil. It may consist of one or more carpels, free or cohe- rent. They are sometimes borne on a terminal pro- longation in the centre of the cup or dish called the gynophore or ' ovary-bearer'; such is the edible part of the .strawberry (Fig. 17. 2, 6). More usually the pistil is situated at the bottom of the cup, as in the cherry, which has only one carpel; or the cuj) may be filled with carpels, as may be seen by cutting the hip of a rose across ; for this is really the receptacular tube, from which the little seed-like fruits or avlienes can be picked out separately. Minute receptacular tubes (T, in floral formulae) occur in Rumceae, Tribe PoLerieae. A further condition of adhesion is arrived at when the cup, on growing, actually adheres to the outer surface of the ovaries, so that they seem to form part of it. Apple, pear, hawthorn, and medlar illustrate
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