8 ON THE STRUCTURE OF CRUCIFEROUS FLOWERS. 
only ought to be found. All these stamens have bilocular anthers, 
the same as the single ones of the neighbouring genera where no 
multiplication takes place. — 
In the Cruciferæ the multiplication is of the simplest kind; the 
single organ is not represented by a group or adelphia, but is 
simply geminated, and this in the half only of the andreeceum. — . 
Another difficulty has been alleged against this explanation ; it 
is said that the geminated stamens should be less than the single. 
Those who bring forward this objection forget that the multiplica- 
tion of organs is always caused by excess of nutriment; and this 
excess of nutriment is as capable of augmenting the volume of an 
organ as of multiplying it.* It is well known that in double 
flowers, in which this multiplication is so frequently repeated and 
so evident, the organs themselves are at the same time equally as 
much increased in volume.T 
A third objection to which we must reply has been advanced. 
The stamens it is said are inserted in the receptacle at different 
a heights. We may remark, firstly, that if these organs belong to 
~~ two distinct verticils, as has been hence inferred,t the upper series 
ought to be opposed to two or four petals. We have seen above, 
on the contrary, that as well as the single stamens they alternate 
with them and complete thus a normal quaternary alternation. No 
-botanist has ever imagined that the Crucifere were provided with 
... 8 double calyx, though the leaflets are usually so disposed that two 
are situated a little below the others. We shall see hereafter that 
. the same cause which displaced the single stamens has also occa- 
-sioned this depression. : 
The leaflets of the calyx in Polygaleæ are placed likewise at 
different heights, || but on account of the regular alternating of these 
* Elém. de Terat. végét. p. 341. 
| See Lestib. sur Pinsert. des étam. des Crucif. 1826, p. 5. Kuntz zwei Abh. 
. 14883. Lindl. Nat. Syst. 1836, p. 58, and Veg. Kingd. 1847, p. 351, Gy, Ann. 
. $c. nat. ième. sér. vol. xviii., 1842, p. 218. 
p. 360 and 19. 
I St. Hil. and Moq. sur les die Mém. du Mus. vol. xvii., 1828, P- 323 and s 
f In all monstrous cruciferous flowers, which we have seen, where there were étre 2 E 
series of stamens, the supplementary rank was produced by the multiplication or — : 
transformation either of the stamens, pistils, or petals. See Elém. de Térat. ree a 3 
