1ST 



Some Monstrosities in Trillium.* 



By Frank Marion Andrews. 



The genus Trillium occasionally shows interesting variations, not only 

 in the form, but especially in the number of the parts of the foliar and 

 floral parts. These changes in form and phyllody are especially conspicu- 

 ous about this region in the species Trillium sessile and Trillium recurva- 

 tum. Of these some notable variations have been observed. Two speci- 

 mens were found growing within a meter of one another, one being Tril- 

 lium sessile and the other Trillium recurvatum. In both of these speci- 

 mens no trace of the usual stamens or pistil were present. All parts of 

 the flowers were completely transformed into floral leaves, which in Tril- 

 lium recurvatum were considerably larger, with the exception of the 

 central ones, than the usual parts of normal flowers growing near them. 

 In Trillium recurvatum the'number of these leaves in the flowers without 

 reproductive organs was twenty-three (23) and in the Trillium sessile 

 fourteen (14). No gradation from petals to stamens was observed in these 

 specimens, such as is sometimes seen in the Nymphaceae. The number of 

 sepals and floral leaves, the venation and other features were normal in 

 both of the specimens above named. 



A third interesting variation was seen in another specimen of the 

 Trillium sessile in which the usual parts were present, but varied in 

 number. To enumerate — there were four floral leaves, somewhat smaller 

 than in normal specimens, three small sepals, four large partly greenish 

 petals, three small stamens and four styles. This change in the size and 

 especially the number of very close successive whorls of the foliar and 

 floral leaves was all the more striking inasmuch as the individual members 

 of the whorls were very uniform in number and size. This particular 

 plant was considerably smaller than normal specimens. 



Some other specimens of Trillium sessile and recurvatum showed a 

 sepal and petal either partly, or in some instances wholly, grown together. 

 In these cases the sepal half, which could be distinguished by its position, 

 was much greener than the other or petal part, which was partly white. 



'See also Bott, Gaz., vol. 16, pp. 163 and 231, and vol. 19, pp. 137 and 460. 



