ABNORMALITIES IN OENOTHERA. 177 



anthers are small, with very short filaments, empty and 

 sterile. The style is frequently markedly pubescent almost 

 to the top. It tapers strongly and gradually to the top which 

 is very slender, and the stigma lobes are reduced to four 



delicate prongs. 



A remarkable peculiarity of all these flowers is the com- 

 plete, or almost complete, suppression of the hypanthium. 

 I have remarked elsewhere (Gates, 1910, footnote, p. 208) 

 that the attacks of a certain insect also lead to suppression 

 of this organ. Its wide variability, which Shull (1907) has 

 proved statistically, and its suppression under various abnor- 

 mal conditions, as I have shown, are probably significant 



gested by MacDougal. A m 



development 



of 



remain 



m 



many 



occurs below the ovary. This is more slender than the ovary 

 and is hard and woody, tough, and strongly attached to the 

 stem. In the meantime (see plate 30, f. 2, flowers to the left) 

 leaves grow out from the interior of the flower and in this 

 way the flower becomes transformed into a short side branch. 

 The ovary in the meantime almost completely disap- 

 pears, possibly becoming transformed into a portion of 

 the woody branch by an alteration in its structure. 



stem is always more 



abnormal 



narrow) 



manner. The 



form a side branch is sometimes 



may be seen from plate 29. It 



from 



main stem 



dropped off leaving the growing ovaries behind. Some of 

 these afterward developed into large capsules. 



The plant in 1909 which produced only virescent flowers, 

 wilted and died about August 10th for no assignable cause, 



m 



seemed 



seed 









