M.Duchartre on the Organogeny of the Malvacese. 241 



of the parts* : " In all those calyces and corollse called Tnono- 

 2)hyllous, the various parts, which subsequently cohere, are at 

 their origin everywhere, and without exception, separate, and 

 their independent existence is prolonged for a sufficient length of 

 time to render all reasoning on the number of parts superfluous, 

 because it is a matter of observation susceptible of demonstrative 

 evidence/^ He subsequently maintains the same original inde- 

 pendence of the stamens and carpels. He has supported his 

 conclusions by numerous examples, and especially, at a later pe- 

 riod, by a very detailed history of the development of the flower 

 of one of the papilionaceous Leguminoscs. 



However, on the other hand, M. Adolphe Brongniart f had 

 established the fact, that in the very young buds of mono- 

 petalous flowers, the corolla at first forms a kind of minute ring 

 around the stamens. A high authority, Mr. R. Brown J, also 

 adopts this view : he says, " In the description of the modifica- 

 tions of the ovary and stigma which I have given, in conformity 

 with the ordinary language of botanists, I have employed the 

 term confluence, by which however we must not understand the 

 union or cohesion of parts originally distinct. For in the great 

 majority of cases, the separation or the complete development of 

 these parts from their original cellular and pulpy state has never 

 occurred ; but with this understanding the term may be preseiTcd, 

 unless we prefer the word connate as subject to less objection. ^^ 

 The previous memoirs of M. Duchartre led to the same result, by 

 proving in certain cases the union of certain parts of the flower 

 after their first appearance ; and we shall see that he has found 

 new examples of this original cohesion in the Malvacecs. 



There is another class of facts in the history of the flower 

 which may throw great light upon organogenic researches ; such 

 are those known by the name of duplication. Frequently in the 

 place which should be occupied by a single organ we find two 

 or more arranged in the same plane, or in several diff'erent planes, 

 i. e. in bundles. Each of these bundles may then be considered 

 to represent a single leaf. Is this the case ? and how has this 

 multiplication of organs, this duplication of a single one, oc- 

 curred ? 



The family of the Malvacece is well-chosen for studying this 

 question. In that of the Byttneriacea, which was once united 

 with it, and which, although now separated, cannot be far re- 

 moved from it, and evidently forms part of the same natui'al 

 group, we sometimes find only five stamens opposed to as many 

 petals ; sometimes opposite each petal, a system of several united 



* Wiegmann's Arcliiv. [A translation of this paper appeared in the 

 Philosophical Magazine for P'eb. 1838. Ed.] 

 t Ann. des Sc. Nat. vol. xxiii. p. 229. X Plant. Javan. liar. p. 112. 



