Dr. Dickie on a Monstrous Form of Gentiana campestris. 387 



LV. — On a Monstrosity of Gentiana campestris. By G. Dickie, 

 M.D., Lecturer on Botany in the University and King^s Col- 

 lege of Aberdeen*. 



In August 1844 there occurred in the vicinity of Aberdeen se- 

 veral remarkable monstrosities of Gentiana campestris which ap- 

 pear worthy to be recorded. The plants were growing near the 

 sea in a soil of almost pure sand. In many of them all the 

 flowers were fully double ; in other cases the monstrous flowers, 

 the structure and arrangement of which are now to be described, 

 were growing on the same plant with those alluded to, but were 

 as frequently associated with others presenting the usual struc- 

 ture. 



The monstrous flowers may be briefly described as consisting 

 of a calyx, presenting the number and arrangement of parts com- 

 monly found in Gentiana campestris ; the corolla was mostly na- 

 tural, but sometimes 5 -cleft ; stamens four, sometimes more, in 

 most cases either partially or wholly petaloid, these three whorls 

 presenting the usual relation to each other. The greatest devia- 

 tion from the natural structure occurred in the central whorl. 

 Instead of a pistil there were frequently flower-buds, in one case 

 no fewer than eight, in another six, five of these forming a regular 

 whorl round a central bud ; and sometimes ovaries nearly natural 

 were intermixed with flower-buds. 



The accompanying Table will show at a glance the general ar- 

 rangement in ten of these flowers. 



No, 



Calyx. 



Of usual structure 

 Irregular. 



Of usual structure, 



Of usual structure. 

 Of usual structure. 



Of usual structure. 



Of usual structure. 

 Of usual structure. 



Of usual structure. 

 Of usual structure 



Corolla. 



4-cleft, irregular. 

 5 pieces, each 2- 



cleft. 

 2 corollae, each 4- 



cleft. 



4-cleft. 

 4-cleft. 



4-cleft. 



5-cleft. 

 5-cleft. 



4-cleft. 

 5-cleft. 



Stamens. 



4, petaloid. 



5, petaloid. 



4 in each corolh 

 partially pet£ 

 loid. 



4, natural. 



4, petaloid. 



4, petaloid. 



5, petaloid. 

 5, petaloid. 



4, petaloid. 

 None. 



Pistil. 



7 flower-buds. 

 Pedunculated flower- 

 buds and ovaries. 

 In each 1 ovary. 



1 perfect ovary. 



1 flower-bud, its ovary 

 inclosing another 

 flower-bud. 



1 flower-bud, peri- 

 anth single. 



8 flower-buds. 



4 ovaries and 2 flow- 

 er-buds. 



G flower-buds. 



3 ovai-ies, 2 flower- 

 buds. 



Read before the Botanical Society of Edinburgh, April 10, 1845. 



