t 



MB. K. A. DALZELL OK THE GEXUS MORINGA. 803 



Corolla, — Moringa is said to be polypetalous ; but I consider 

 it gamopetalous — the entire portion lining the calyx-tube, the 

 divisions (petals) reaching down as far as the entire portion of the 

 calyx, and thus making a near approach to Flatycarpumy in which 

 there is scarcely any entire portion above the calyx. Wight 

 and Arnott, in their description of Mornngay have described the 

 odd petal as posterior, whereas in reality it is anterior. 



This anterior division of the corolla is larger than the others, 

 as m Stereospermum and many Bignoniacece. 



Wight and Arnott make mention of a fleshy torus ; and Ben- 

 tham and Hooker describe this as a fleshy disk with a free mar- 

 gin lining the tube of the calyx. 



There appears to me to be no such disk with a free margin, — the 



so-called disk consistinor of the consolidated bases of the two fila- 



ments of the flower, the vessels of which can be traced upwards 

 from the bottom of the calyx-tube continuously through the 

 filaments. 



Stamens, — These are described as ten in number, five of the 

 number being imperfect and alternate with five which are fertile. 

 But no one appears to have noticed that four of these fertile sta- 

 mens are didynamous, the anthers being brought together in 

 pairs, and the filaments having that peculiar arcuate form neces- 

 sary to effect this arrangement, while the fifth and posterior odd 

 stamen, so generally rudimentary in Bignoniacece, is here similar 



Ki 



Didyn 



Moringa 



In Bignoniacece the four or five fertile stamens are opposite the 

 segments of the calyx • and five glands, sometimes assuming the 

 shape of filaments, surround the ovary and alternate with the 

 stamens. In Moringa there appears to be a transposition of de- 

 velopment, so to speak ; for while in Bignoniacece it is the outer 

 series that become perfect stamens (the inner series being glands), 

 in Moringa it is the inner series that become perfect stamens, 

 while the outer remain as glandular bodies, being destitute of the 

 essentials of a stamen. 



The filaments of Moringa are hirsute at the base, as they are 

 in nearly all the BignoniacecE. 



These remarks on the stamens seem to derive confirmation 

 from a remark of Griffith's (Posthumous Papers, vol. ii. p. 228), 

 where he says, '' Bignonia with fifteen stamens maybe expected; 

 and what is sin<^ular, if such is found, the additional stamina 



