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A TEXTBOOK OF THEORETICAL BOTANY 



Fig. 1 1 52. — Akebia quinata. A, Inflorescence with female flower {left) 

 and male flowers (right). B, Female flower showing rudimentary 

 stamens. C, Male flower showing rudimentary' carpels. {After 

 Sachs.) 



An analogous replacement of a carpel by a stamen may be the origin 

 of the apparently terminal stamens which occur in some species. The 



condition is rare and is limited to a few greatly 

 reduced unisexual flowers, with frequently only 

 one stamen and sometimes no perianth. Such 

 are Euphorbia, Callitrt'che, Naias, Anacardium 

 and Casiiarina. We need not indulge in nice 

 speculations as to whether these terminal stamens 

 should be classed as axial or foliar organs, since 

 there can be no reasonable doubt that they are of 

 exactly the same nature as other stamens, but 

 being fully developed on a much reduced axis, 

 they have supplanted and suppressed its apex. 

 That this is the true account of the matter is 

 shown by the male flowers of Mangifera (Mango) 

 (Fig. 1 153), where the apparently terminal sta- 

 men is in fact one of a whorl of five, the other 

 four being reduced to staminodes and having 

 Fig. II S2.—Matigiferaindiaj. been manifestly pushed aside bv the strong 



Se^-^^m:;;*"'"?;! «™^^'"' °f "^e fenile stamen. 



men. {After Velenovsky.) The presence of Stamens of two or more 



