TABLE XVI. 
Want of Correlation in increase between Sepals and Stamens and 
THE NUMBER OF STAMENS AND CARPELS. 
Petals and Carpels in Ranunculus Ficaria. 
239 
No. of No. of No. of Average no. | Average no. 
flowers. sepals, petals. of stamens. | of carpels. 
20 3 8 22:75 17:6 
14 4 7 20:36 18:45 
8 5 6 17:0 19:12 
Then while the number of stamens proved to decrease with 
the number of petals, the number of carpels increased. Such a 
result is curious, and a natural supposition would be that some 
very abnormal flowers had interfered with the correct results. 
But this is not the case; and, further, the results of the exami- 
nation of flowers from other places all show that the more 
sepals are present, the more nearly equal are the numbers of the 
stamens and carpels. 
THALICTRUM FLAVUM, Linn. 
Effect of Position of Flower on Number of Carpels.—ln this 
plant the stamens are too fugaceous to yield reliable results. 
Nearly all the flowers of the inflorescence mature at the same 
time; but their position determines, to a great extent, the 
number of carpels. In the axil of each bract usually arise two 
branches, the lower of which generally bears a single flower, while 
the upper may branch and carry three or more flowers (as at 
Diagram showing common arrangement of flowers in Thalictrum. 
a in the diagram). This upper branch is usually the strongest. 
Often only one branch is present (as at c in the diagram). When 
