MICHIGAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 79 



PH YLLOD Y OF THE^ STAMENS ^AND^ PETALS ' OF .NYMPH AEAE 



(NUPHAR) ADVENA. 



W. J. Beal. 



On July 20, 1906, at Alward lake, about ten miles north of Lansing, I dis- 

 covered some flowers of the above named species, one of which was unlike 

 anything I had ever seen or had called to my attention. 



Thirteen of the outside parts of the flowers apparently consisted of the 

 sepals, possibly some of them including the petals. These are much like the 

 floral envelopes though rather smaller and less colored than those of a normal 

 flower. Within these are forty-three pieces, probably the petals, from 3-6 cm. 

 long, each with the apex ovate or elliptical more or less the form of the bowl 

 of a narrow spoon. The margins and the central portions are more or less 

 yellow in color. Inside of these are 247 stamens from 10-15 cm. long; the 

 filaments oval in section and 2.5-4 mm. wide. The oval, "spoon-shaped" 

 apex is usually involute 1.5-2 cm. long by 7-13 mm. wide, with margins and 

 midrib often yellow. 



The compound pistil consists of sixteen carpels united, apparently much 

 like those of a normal flower, excepting that in place of stigmas, we find sessile, 

 involute objects much resembling the apex of the stamens. There are no 

 ovules. 



A normal flower collected in the same lake contained 225 stamens, while 

 this peculiar one contains 247. 



_ Normal flowers of the species contain six sepals, petals and stamens indefi- 

 nite, numerous carpels 12-24. 



Vegetable Teratology by Maxwell T. Masters contains an illustration of a 

 flower of Petunia in which in place of each stamen is a slender petiole bearing 

 a small oval leaf. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



