290 DR. М. Т. MASTERS ON SOME POINTS IN 
case of the petals just referred to. (Pl. XXXIX. figs. 19 to 23 show illustrations of this 
charaeter from a variety of Polyanthus known in gardens as the “ Nigger.") In some of 
these cases enation takes place from both surfaces of the leafy or petaloid stamen 
мфу 
(fig. 22), as may be illustrated thus | , the central line indicating the axis of the 
staminode, the lateral ones the position of the outgrowth. 
In some cases the flowers are still further complicated by the development of these 
supplementary outgrowths in the form of horns and tubes, either by cohesion of the 
margins, or by unequal growth and consequent depression of the centre, as before 
explained. 
Pistillody of the Stamens.—Much the most interesting change, however, is that in 
which the stamens assume more or less of the condition of the carpels. The first case 
of the kind that fell under my own observation was nearly a quarter of а century ago, 
when I had the opportunity of inspecting a drawing and description of some flowers 
made by the Hev. G. E. Smith. His figures and his descriptions were so remarkable, 
that in my * Vegetable Teratology’ I confined myself to a mere mention of the case, and 
waited the time when, by the inspection of similar flowers, I might be able to form my 
own interpretation of the appearances presented. Mr. Smith's drawings bore every 
mark of accuracy; but I might well hesitate as to the correctness of the explanation 
given, when I read the following descriptions of the drawing :—‘“ Stamen with anther 
sitting upon an imperfect petal and bearing a style; enlarged pollen with terminal 
style; anther bearing one long twisted style and stigma; stamen with pollen-cell pro- 
liferous, &c.” 
This was а description to whet the ardour of the humblest morphologist; but it was 
not till a short time ago, through the kindness of my friend Mr. Alfred Bennett, that I 
received from Miss Dowson, of Beccles, specimens evidently closely similar to those of 
the Rev. G. E. Smith, sufficiently so to vindicate the correctness of his drawings, and 
to supply an explanation of what was paradoxical іп his descriptions. А comparison of 
the figures (Pl. XXXIX. figs. 24—82, which are copies from the drawings of the Rev. 
G. E. Smith), together with others taken from Miss Dowson's specimens by Mr. Worthing- 
ton Smith and by myself, will show how close is the correspondence between the two sets 
of specimens (Pl. XXXIX. figs. 34-39, Pl. XL. figs. 1-3, and Pl. XLI. figs. 1-8). 
No two of these flowers were exactly alike in all particulars; but there was so much 
general similarity between them in essential points, that 16 is not necessary to enter into 
details of particular flowers. Тһе general appearances presented may therefore be 
_ briefly summarized as follows :— 
_ Calyx normal. Corolla of a variable number of free, or nearly free, linear-oblong 
petals (Pl. XLI. figs. 1-3), the increase in number being obviously due to the fission 
or lateral ehorisis of the original petals. This was seen by the fact of there being in some 
of the flowers, where the liberation of the petals was not complete, a short tube with 
five hor eese each speedily dividing into two for the supply of the lateral sub- 
divisions ' 
