COJ?"FORMATION OP THE OENTJS CYPRTpEDIUM, 405 



median barren stamen of the outer row, Ai. The two lateral 

 fertile stamens, ai, a2, belong to the inner vow. All the other 

 stamens are absent. It is possible, especially in cases of Peloria 

 (see^ost.)^ that the lateral stamens of the outer row, Ai, As, may 

 be sometimes rej^resented in the lateral lobes of the staminode, 

 although, from the distribution of the vessels, I do not think this 

 IS usually the case. This staminode, moreover, is often more or 

 less three-angled, three-lobed, or two-lobed with a central knob 

 or short projecting filament. Liuk, as cited by Eichler *, was of 

 opinion that the fertile anthers originated from the division of 

 one median stamen, the staminode being looked on as an enor- 

 mously developed connective. But although the staminode often 

 shows signs of bi-partition, the whole weight of evidence, whether 

 from morphology, teratology, or anatomy, is against Link's view. 

 The teratological evidence will be alluded to later on, and that 

 furnished by the anatomy of the column may be deferred till the 

 nature of the style is considered. 



The large stigma of Cypripedhtm occupies, as previously 

 stated, a median position, and this position -p 



gives rise to some perplexity on account of its ^ 



appearing to be a single organ. q. q 



The readiest mode of explaining the existence ^. 



/. . . .11 11-1 11 i Diagrammatic 



01 a smgle stigmatic lobe would evidently be to illustration of the 

 assume that the two lateral carpels, at lea^t their position of the 



J. 1 . 1 • 4 • 1- stigmas in Cypn- 



stylar portions, were abortive. An examination mdium, which, 

 of the arrangement of the vascular bundles lovrever, are con- 



i»ji ,, -i/.ii 1 T crescent, not iso- 



01 the peduncle and of the commn supplies jj^t^^j^ 

 another and more correct explanation. 



Distribution of the Vasculab Bundles, 



Tracing the nerves from the stalk of the flower upwards to the 

 ovary, and thence into the column, the arrangement is seen to be 

 the follo\Ying : — In the peduncle there are six vascular bundles in 

 one ring, Following these upwards, three are found to corre- 

 spond to the dorsal sutures of the carpels and three to the 

 ventral or placenta-bearing margins. Although at first in one 

 ring, at the level of the emergence of the perianth-segments, 

 they form two rings one within the other, and their arrange- 

 ment may be diagrammatically represented as follows, Ni, !N'2, Na 



lam 



4c ( 



Bliithen Diagramme/ p. 18L 



