210 



MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN. 



the many details cannot be satisfactorily known. Few 

 herbaria are rich enough in material to permit of an exami- 

 nation of a majority of the forms which should be con- 

 sidered and even were this the case the time and material 

 required would in most cases be out of all proportion to 

 the results obtained. 



* 



In making these comparisons all characters must be 

 taken into consideration. The Solanum-Cassia type is not 

 distinguished by linear, basifixed, or apieally dehiscent 

 anthers alone, or by a patent corolla, but by the association 

 of all these characters — the patent corolla and the linear, 

 basifixed anthers approximated around the simple style and 

 opening by terminal pores. Excepting the essential char- 

 acter of dehiscence, any one of these may usually be found 

 and often represented by a large number of genera in the 

 family or group from which the apieally dehiscent genera 

 under consideration are taken but the combination of all 

 the characters except that of the apical opening of the 

 anthers in one flower is, in the systematic groups which I 

 have examined, much more rare. 



The general results of a quite detailed examination of a 

 number of the families, are presented below: 



Dilleniaceous Type. 



We find in the Dilleniaceae that while the numerous 

 structural differences are very confusing it seems quite clear 

 that apical dehiscence isconfined almost exclusively to those 

 forms with long, basifixed anthers. The presence of sev- 

 eral free, spreading pistils in this family is unique among 

 flowers with apieally dehiscent anthers. 



In the Elaeocarpaceae dehiscence may be by pores or 

 longitudinal slits in the same genus, all genera but one . 

 having at least some species with apical pores. This single 

 exception is AnthoJoma wdiich has the essential floral struc- 

 ture of other elaeocarpaceous genera except for the gamo- 

 petalous, urceolate corolla instead of the usual polypetalous, 



