2G DR. M. T. MASTEES OX THE MOEPHOLOGY OF THE MALVALES. 



staniinode represents one of the lateral rather than the terminal 

 lobe. This notion derives support from the exceptions to the rule. 

 Thus in Sjparmannia and Ilonokenya, Tiliaceous genera, the anan- 

 therous filaments are external, corresponding to the lateral lobes 

 of a leaf, and as such they may be and are indefinite as to num- 

 ber, while in those cases where the staminodes are internal they 

 are always definite in number. 



Such an instance as Donibeya^ where there are fifteen stamens 

 placed in groups of three between each staminode, presents a diffi- 

 culty that I can only explain by what is a mere assumption, but still 

 one that is, I believe, quite legitimate, viz, that only a portion of 

 each staminal leaf is developed, and that there should be three 

 more stamens on one side of the staminode, so as to render it 

 like that of Glossostemon before referred to. If the twisted and 

 very oblique petals of Domheya be borne in mind, there will be 

 no difficulty in supposing that a similar inequality of growth may 

 have taken place in the stamens. The explanation here offered 

 corresponds closely with that given by Mr, Bentham, in his "Notes 

 o\\ Malvacece and Hterculiaeeaj^'' to which I have often referred in 

 this communication, and is, I believe, in greater conformity with 

 the fiicts recorded by morphologists and organogenists than any 

 other. That it is open to some objections is obvious ; and many 

 of these cannot be removed till the organogeny of the group is 

 known. I may here add that the view I have taken serves io 

 explain the structure of sojne double flowers in this order, other- 

 wise very puzzling. In some double Hollyhocks, AltJicea, Hi- 

 hiscicSj &c., there is an appearance as if tufts of petals originated 

 from the column, the face of one petal being placed opposite to 

 the face of another petal, the two being sepai^ated by a crowded 

 mass of smaller petals, so that the appearance of the whole is 

 very much as if a series of axillary buds had been formed Avithiu 

 the primary petals, — against which view, however, it may be 

 stated that there is no calyx and no pi^^til in these apparent 

 buds ; moreover in some scmi-double flowers the nature of the 

 case becomes obvious, and it may be seen that some of the petals 

 of the tuft correspond to the staminodes oi Donibeya &c., others 

 in the same tuft to the fertile stamens, and others to the petals. 

 In truth, a diagrammatic section of the flower of some of these 

 semi-double Hihisci is identical with that of Domheya^ with the 

 exception that the fertile divisions of the stamens are, in the case 

 of the semi-double flower, replaced by petaloid expansions *. 



* The staminodes would .seem in some cases to have not merely a morpbolo- 



