FLOERKEA PROSERPINACOIDES AND .\LLIES 413 



shorter than the petals or sepals, and are all of the same length as in 

 Floerkea. 



The carpels are five in number, all well developed, and having between 

 them the gynobasic style bearing five short style arms with capitate 

 stigmas as in Floerkea. 



The carpellary wall in Limnanthes has papillae as in Floerkea. Upon 

 examination these show upon their outer epidermal cells minute thicken- 

 ings of cutin as in Floerkea (Fig. 11). The much developed integument is 

 present in Limnanthes also as in Floerkea, storing starch until late in the 

 growth of the seed. 



In going over a great number of plants of Floerkea proserpinacoides 

 many were found to have on them flowers departing from trimerous 

 symmetry. Most of these had four sepals, three petals, six stamens, 

 and two carpels. The sepals upon examination showed by their venation 

 that the four were derived by a splitting of one of the three usually pre- 

 sent. Several were found with four sepals, four petals, six stamens, two 

 carpels. One only was found with five sepals. It, however, had only 

 three petals. 



Conclusions 



In the separation of the two genera forming this family the dis- 

 tinguishing features have been: — 



Symmetry of flowers 

 Length of petals 

 Aestivation of the petals 



In flower symmetry, however, there is now a gradation series. This 

 begins with those having pentamerous symmetry, such as L. Douglasii 

 and L. alba. The tetramerous flower of L. Macounii forms the transition 

 type to the trimerous form described as Floerkea. In Floerkea constant 

 variations from the tetramerous to the trimerous type have been found. 



These range from imperfect tetramery in the sepals, to forms with 

 the four sepals and four petals. One flower found approached pentamer- 

 ous symmetry in possession of five sepals. The variations in these 

 cases did not extend to the stamens and carpels. The stamens remained 

 six in number, the carpels, as usual two to three. 



In the length and aestivation of the petals there is also an intergrading 

 series represented in the two genera: — 



Limnanthes rosea seems to be the cHmax type, possessing as it does 

 rose colored petals, much exceeding the sepals in length (sepals 7-8 mm. 

 long; petals 12-18 mm. long). Petals convolute in aestivation. 



