MB. F. X. WILLIAMS ON THE GENUS DIANTHUS. 349 



cross-fertilization. For in typical forms the barren shoots 

 springing from the crown of the rootstock are short and decum- 

 bent, and thus expose the ascending and conspicuous flowering 

 sterns. And these are simple and paucifloral, or slightly branched, 

 thus distributing the inflorescence over a proportionally wider 

 area. The flowers are always terminal, and consequently not 

 concealed by the dense barren shoots. The flowers are for the 

 most part specious : when solitary, they are large and con- 

 spicuous; when small, they are collected into dense fascicles, 

 lhe general coloration of the flower, and the frequent variegation 

 or the lamina of the petal, is an inducement to the most fastidious 

 of hymen opterous visitors, associated as it often is with the most 

 fragrant perfume and easy accessibility. In the solitary or 

 gemmate flowers of Caryophyllastmmthe petals are repand, large 

 and specious, slightly excavated, and well supported on the cup 

 of the strongly-nerved calyx ; in the fasciculate inflorescence of 

 Larthusianastrum and the capitular inflorescence of Proliferas- 

 trum their close apposition gives mutual support and a large 

 variegated area. The stamens and petals spring from an annular 

 ridge of the torus encircling the gynophore, which latter is in 

 the form of a prolonged axis between the calyx and the corolla, 

 lhis ridge bears on its inner border a yellow fleshy cushion, 

 which is the nectary, and in its glands there is secreted the sweet 

 fluid which attracts the fertilizing insects. 



Perianth. — This consists of three parts : (1) the imbricated 

 bracts ; (2) the gamosepalous calyx ; (3) the corolla of five 

 distinct petals. The metamorphosis of the floral organs is well 

 shown in the production of double flowers by cultivation. These 

 double flowers in the carnations andjpinks are produced by the 

 assumption of a petaloid appearance by other organs. Not 

 always, however, are the supernumerary petals either reverted 

 stamens, or carpels, or petaloid sepals, but are instances of 

 abnormal pleiotaxy, without reversion of essential organs to 

 flower-leaves. The teratological tendency of cultivate! forms 

 18 towards petalody. The prolongation of the torus into a stipiti- 

 form gynophore seems to be analogous to the internode between 

 the two successive whorls of the foliage-leaves, and in this case 

 separates the whorl of the calycine from the whorl of the corol- 

 lary leaves. 



Calyx. — The calyx is cylindrical, sometimes contracted above, 



brown 



acumi 



