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THE DEHISCENCE OF ANTHERS BY APICAL TORES. 



191 



slits, finally extending more or less down the sides. The 

 pistil sometimes considerably exceeds the tips of the 



stamens. 



Guichenotia (5 species endemic in West Australia) has 



anthers opening by introrse terminal pores or slits which 

 mav be continued down the side. 



Lysiosepalum (2 species are found in West Australia) 

 has the anthers subulate to linear and dehiscing by apical 

 poriform slits which may be finally continued down the 



sides. 



Lasiopetalum (25 Australian species, mostly confined to 



West Australia) is probably the best representative of 



Solanum 



Even here the pores of the anthers are continued down the 

 sides and the style is sometimes much exserted and covered 



with stellate hairs. 



It is unnecessary to discuss in detail here the polymor- 

 phic and often complicated floral organization in the Ster- 

 culiaceae. The forms showing dehiscence by pores or 

 short slits are found only in the Lasiopetaleae, which dif- 

 fers very essentially from the other tribes in its floral 

 structure. All members of this group agree in the posses- 

 sion of a patent perianth. The petaloid nature of the 

 sepals and the reduction of the petals to scale-like struc- 

 tures, the peculiar style in some species and the floral habit 

 of other genera of the family to which these forms have . 

 been assigned give them a peculiar interest, but our knowl- 



edge of them is entirely too 



me 



o 



to permit of any 



suo-o-estions as to the significance of the forms. 



Ochnaceae. 



In the Ochnaceae, we have a family particularly difficult 

 of treatment on account of the numerical reduction in the 

 androecium. Transitions are present between the Dilleni- 

 aceous and the Solanum-Cassia type, while some of the 



