THE STAMENS IN A SPECIES OF BEOONIA. 



473 



Fig. 4. 



Fig. 6. 



—C 



Fig. 1. A single stamen modified; connectivum much dilated; on either 

 margin a short anther with good pollen; at the end, well-developed stigmatic 



papillaa. 



Fig. 2. A single stamen modified ; a well-developed stigma ; neither anthers 



nor ovules. 



Fig. 8. Three modified stamens, united at the base, a, well-developed stigma ; 

 no pollen ; numerous ovules, difiering in nothing from those of the normal ? 

 flowers. 5, club-sliaped, without pollen, ovules, and stigmatic papillae, c, pollen 

 on both margins of the connectivum ; ovules on the convex margin ; apex of the 

 connectivum smooth, without stigmatic papilliE, but one of the ovules trans- 

 formed into a stigma. 



Fig. 4. Three stamens united, a, not modified ; 5, connectivum much dilated, 

 pollen on either margin, neither ovules nor stigmatic papilla ; c, well -developed 



margin 



dilated 



Fig. 5. Three stamens, modified and united : a and h without pollen, with 

 large stigmas and numerous ovules ; c nearly normal, only the tip of the con- 

 nectivum beinff somewhat enlarged and provided with small stigmatic papillae. 



(fig 



an 



ovule, covered "by club-shaped papilla? exactly resembliug in 

 shape and colour those of the stigma ; so that in this case an 

 ovule appeared to have been transformed into a stigma ! 



Since I found this plant, I have been looking out for others ; 

 and yesterday I at length met with a second specimen (grow- 

 ing within 2 yards distance from the first), which promises to 

 offer still more- curious modifications. Some of the male flowers 

 of this second plant have been transformed completely into 

 female ones with superior perianth, but distinguished from the 

 normal $ flowers by the perianth having (as in the male flowers) 

 two large broad outer and two small narrow inner segments 

 (whilst the female flowers have five segments, one being smaller), 

 and by their having from four to five stigmas and as many alae 



