124 



ERYTHEA. 



is deflexed — see Fig. 1) ; the stamens do not, in any instance, " revert" 

 but the anthers are nearly always abortive (in the normal flower 

 the stamens are four, with a sterile filament on the upper side of 

 the corolla and almost completely united with the tube); pistil 

 becoming obovoid or sometimes clavate and apparently stipitate, 

 much protruded, finally rupturing at the top of each cell and allow- 

 ing the cluster of little leaves which occupy the place of the ovules 

 to escape from the fissure (the normal fruit is an ovate 2-celled 

 capsule with many seeds borne on axile placentae). Just as fre- 

 quently, however, the upper portion of the placentae is crowded 

 with sterile ovules with long funiculi (Fig. 6, p = placentae; o = 

 ovules) ; these do not develop further and in consequence the wall 

 of the ovary remains intact. 



While such a general account covers most of the flowers examined, 



there are, indeed, an almost indefinite number of departures from the 



normal form. Some of these variations are, however, so suggestive 



or pronounced in structure that they are here separately described. 



Variation 1. — Calyx-lobes 4, almost distinct, the fourth larger by 



half than the others and emarginate at apex; 



corolla little modified but with rotately spreading 



upper lobes. 



Variation 2. — Calyx-lobes 5, the fifth largest and emarginate at 



apex; corolla lobes 6, subequal. 

 Variation 3. — Calyx and corolla normal, on same twig as Nos. 1 

 and 2 and immediately below them; ovary 

 abnormal. 

 Variation 4. —Corolla somewhat tubular and prolonged (similar 

 to Fig. 5, a). Calyx deeply parted as is usually 

 the case. 

 Variation 5. — Abnormal flower on otherwise normal shoot; sepals 6; 

 corolla with 6 lobes, 3 in upper lip, equal ; sterile 

 stamens 2, situated under middle lobe of upper lip 

 but rather closely approximate. The specimen 

 which bore this flower was collected in Berkeley 

 but not from the station above described. The 

 abnormal flower was discovered in October, 1898, 

 by Miss O'Connell, a student in the Department 

 of Botany, and called to my attention by Mr. 

 A. A. Lawson. 



