﻿Polycephalic 
  Poppies 
  375 
  

  

  the 
  central 
  ovary, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  hand 
  some 
  

   rudiments 
  of 
  hardened 
  filaments 
  were 
  always 
  

   left, 
  even 
  if 
  they 
  were 
  reduced 
  to 
  small 
  pro- 
  

   tuberances 
  on 
  the 
  thalamus 
  of 
  the 
  flower. 
  

  

  Between 
  these 
  extremes 
  all 
  grades 
  occur. 
  

   From 
  single, 
  partially 
  or 
  wholly 
  changed 
  

   stamens 
  upwards 
  to 
  150 
  and 
  over, 
  all 
  steps 
  may 
  

   be 
  seen. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  true 
  fluctuating 
  variability. 
  

   There 
  is 
  an 
  average 
  of 
  between 
  50 
  and 
  100, 
  con- 
  

   stituting 
  a 
  nearly 
  filled 
  crown 
  around 
  the 
  cen- 
  

   tral 
  capsule. 
  Around 
  this 
  average 
  the 
  smaller 
  

   deviations 
  are 
  most 
  numerous 
  and 
  the 
  larger 
  

   ones 
  more 
  rare. 
  The 
  inspection 
  of 
  any 
  bed 
  of 
  

   the 
  variety 
  suffices 
  to 
  show 
  that, 
  taken 
  broadly, 
  

   the 
  ordinary 
  laws 
  of 
  fluctuating 
  variability 
  are 
  

   applicable. 
  No 
  counting 
  of 
  the 
  single 
  individ- 
  

   uals 
  is 
  required 
  to 
  dispel 
  all 
  doubts 
  on 
  this 
  

   point. 
  

  

  Moreover 
  all 
  intermediate 
  steps 
  respecting 
  

   the 
  conversion 
  of 
  the 
  single 
  stamens 
  may 
  nearly 
  

   always 
  be 
  seen. 
  Rarely 
  all 
  are 
  changed 
  into 
  

   normal 
  secondary 
  ovaries 
  with 
  a 
  stigma 
  and 
  

   with 
  a 
  cavity 
  filled 
  with 
  ovules. 
  Often 
  the 
  

   stigma 
  is 
  incomplete 
  or 
  even 
  almost 
  wanting, 
  in 
  

   other 
  instances 
  the 
  ovules 
  are 
  lacking 
  or 
  the 
  

   cavity 
  itself 
  is 
  only 
  partially 
  developed. 
  Not 
  

   rarely 
  some 
  stamens 
  are 
  reduced 
  and 
  converted 
  

   into 
  thin 
  hard 
  stalks, 
  without 
  any 
  appearance 
  of 
  

   an 
  ovary 
  at 
  their 
  tip. 
  But 
  then 
  the 
  demar- 
  

  

  