64 



the place between the stamen and ala a. If by way of excep- 

 tion there appears a fourth ala (^), we find it between the 

 stamen and ala ft. Eichler considers all these alae as products 

 of the stamen, as a sort of stipules belonging to it but grown 

 out so as to constitute independent parts of the flowers („Sti- 

 pulargebilde"). The stamen consists of two different halves, 

 one (the right) being petaloid, the other one (left) being a one- 

 celled anther. 



The expressions left and right refer to the structure of the 

 flower; if the observer is placed in the axis, he has the parts 

 of the flowers placed in a spiral line running upwards from 

 left to right. 



Eichler's diagram symbolises very distinctly his opinion about 

 the morphological significance of alae and labellum: he looks 

 on the outer whorl of stamens as quite suppressed, hence the 

 three asterisks in the outer circle. Of the inner whorl he finds 

 only one stamen st and the labellum lah.., but there is no trace 

 of a third stamen. As we have said before, the alae are according 

 to his opinion produced by st. 



In stead of registering all the observed cases separately, which 

 would render the perusal of the present paper needlessly fati- 

 guing, we prefer to pass in rapid review the diff'erent parts 

 and their deviations. 



Cal3^x. Sepals 4, in another flower 5. In a third flower there 

 was a sepal grown together with a petal to a falcated whole. 



Corolla. Two of the petals are (serially ')) doubled, accordingly 

 there are 5 in all. 



A second flower shows the same thing. 



A third flower shows 4 petals. 



Some petals assume a completely petaloid character widely 

 differing from the rather tough tapering leaflets which in normal 

 cases constitute the corolla. 



1) Eichler distinguishes two kinds of doubling, serial and collateral, 1. c. p. 5. 

 In the above case the doubling is undubitably serial, in the following the difference 

 between the two could not always be ascertained. 



