60 PROCEEDINQS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1886. 



modified stipules, not true leaves. The petals of roses were cer- 

 tainly modified stipules, and tliis process of development could 

 be traced in many plants. In this species of Ornithogalum there 

 is but a slight dilation at the base of the outer whorl of stamens. 

 A great advance is made in the stipular development in the 

 inner whorl of stamens, where the appendages extend half-way 

 up the filament. The three carpellary leaves formed the next 

 whorl, and we might reasonably imagine a greater development 

 of the stipular energ}^ in a succeeding whorl, and therefore that 

 these carpels were also enlarged stipules. An absolute proof of 

 this was afforded by one plant, which had the habit of producing 

 some flowers with an union evident from the ph3'llotax3', of an 

 outer petal (or sepal) with a stamen of the inner verticil. In this 

 case the staminoid petal took the shape of the stipule, that is to 

 say, it was emarginate, or inversely saggitate at the apex, the fila- 

 ment being wholly wanting, and with the anther in the sinus. 



An additional fact of interest connected with this species is, 

 that a large number of plants among seedlings, though with sta- 

 mens apparently perfectlj'' formed, have wholly sterile anthers. 



Seeds on Depauperite Plants. A specimen of a grass, Setaria 

 viride, was exhibited, not over half an inch high, but which had a 

 large number of perfect seeds nearly mature. It was exhibited 

 to show that such minute plants might grow and produce seed 

 annually for many successive j^ears, the plants each year repro- 

 ducing themselves among other vegetation, without any one being 

 aware of their existence. When such tracts were ploughed up, and 

 plants like this grass get a good chance to develop themselves 

 fully, it would appear that there had not been any plant of the 

 species growing for years, and the fact used to illustrate the long 

 vitality of seeds in the earth. It might be that there was good 

 evidence that cases of long vitality were undoubted ; but it served 

 a good purpose to point out where error may creep in. 



Of Bracts in Gruciferee. It was an axiom that no true cruci- 

 ferse had bracts to the flowers. The double Sweet Al3'ssum of 

 gardens, Koniga maritima, seemed an exception to this rule. The 

 lower flowers were always solitary in the axils of the leaves, and 

 the leaves were often reduced to mere bracts for a long distance 

 up among the flowers. Branches but not flowers in cruciferse 

 would spring from the axils of the leaves. An examination of 

 these double flowers sliowed that man}' had not followed the rule 

 in double flowers, by transforming stamens to petals. Some, in 

 fact, showed thej^ were arrested branches, with depauperite leaves, 

 a solitary petal being produced in the axil of each little leaf. The 

 sepals seemed united, and formed a sort of sheath-like bract, above 

 which the petal emerged. In this form they appeared as arrested 

 spikes. 



The Coronal Disk in Spiraea. Exhibiting some flowers of 

 Spiraea Reevesiana^ Mr. Meehan called attention to the elevated 

 disc which rose on the inner face of the line of filaments, and 



