206 



THK FLOWER. 



378. The obvious relationship of Cruciferse to Fumariaceae, 

 their agreement in the rare ]icculiarity of having the two carpels 



side liy >ide in>tead <f fore and aft 

 (median), and the characteristic 

 anomaly which the androecinm pre- 

 sents (i.e. the tetradynamy) , would 

 give reason to expect that its prob- 

 lems might be solved by chorisis. 



/ 



Indeed, the doctrine was applied to 

 this, long before its application to 

 the other order. Beginning at the 

 centre (Fig. 395, <S:c. ). the pistil is 

 of two carpels, right and lefl : alter- 

 nate with these is a pairof stamens 

 on the side next the axis, matched 

 by another pair on the opposite 

 side of the pistil, the four longer 

 and interior stamens ; alternate 

 with these, and lower in insertion, 

 a single stamen on each side ; next, 

 lour petals, of somewhat various overlapping in ;esii\ ation, 

 which essentially alternate with the two single stamens and the 

 wo pairs ; lastly, four sepals, alternating with the lour petals as 

 a whole, the anterior and posterior overlapping the lateral ones 

 in the bud. Now the median (i.e. the anterior and posterior) 

 pairs of stamens occasionally have their contiguous lilaments 

 conjoined, as in Fig. 307. If this were at all constant, the 

 inference would undoubtedly be that the case is one of chorisis, 

 and that the flower as to its essential organs is dimerous. This 

 is apparently the best explanation to lie given. It assumes that 

 the chorisis is normally complete in the andneciiim of Crucifera?, 

 instead of incomplete, as in Fumariaeeje. 1 And this view is 

 confirmed by the fact that the median stamens an- simple and 



397 



1 Tlic hypothesis here adopted, as to tin 1 androecium, is tliat of Stcinheil 

 ), :iinl of Eichler (in Flora. ISC,:,, isTi', and Hliithend. ii. -.'(Ml), replacing 

 tliat ut Kiinlli. IN".:!, \c., employed in former editions. The rejected view 

 makes the flower 4-meroiis up to the pistil, and the stamens all of one eiivle. 

 altcrnatim: with the four petals, the median stamen.s (as in our view) doubled 

 by chorisis. Kraiise and Wrctschko (cited as above by Kichlcr) would 

 have tin 1 floral circles 2-merous and 4-merous by turns ; the calyx of two 

 li-ineroiis circles (which it plainly is); the corolla of one 4-merous circle 



!'!<;. .'in I. A rnirifrrons Uo\\rr. :\'.i~>. Diagram of such a tl<>u IT, with position of 

 axis inarknl iiiiovc it. 396. Tetradynamons stamens and the pistil. 397. A common 

 monstrosity of tin' same, two of (lie four inner stameua combined into a common 

 2-antlieriferous body. 



