■34 STRUCTURE OF COMPOSITES. 



subject to suppression of the inferior ovary and pappus, dissociation 

 of the stamens, and median proHfication. 



In the accompanying figure, tab. 194, I, the proHfied inflo- 

 rescence, drawn by Mr. Worthington Smith, is shown at 1 ; one of 

 the normal tubular florets is shown at 2, with the inferior ovary 

 surmounted by lanceolate scales representing the pappus ; the 

 venation of the corolla is not sufficiently marked in the (h-awing, 

 but it is of the ordinary character peculiar to Composite corollas. 

 An ovule is shown at 3. One of the monstrous flowers is shown at 

 4, with no calyx or pappus, but only a distended corolla. At 5 the 

 stamens and the little shoot surmounting them are shown. Figs. 

 6 to 11 illustrate various stages in the development of these flowers; 

 the earhest stage of all, that of a hemispherical tubercle, is not 

 shown. At 6 are indicated the first rudiments of the corolla ; at 7, 

 the begmning of the stamens (alternating wdth the pistils) is 

 indicated ; 8 shows a side view of the corolla at a slightly 

 more advanced stage ; 9 shows a flower of about the same 

 age as 8, laid open to display the stamens. At 10 are dis- 

 jDlayed the two leaves which stand in place of the carpels. 

 At 11 a flower still further advanced is shown with its sub- 

 tending bract, and beneath it is the androecium with the stalked 

 gynascium shown separately. The general course of development 

 here is quite consonant with that which occurs m Composite 

 flowers in general, exce]3t in the case of the gynaecium. Ordinarily, 

 after the formation of the stamens, the thalamus becomes depressed 

 or cup-shaped in the centre, and from its walls are protruded, one 

 on each side, two carpellary tubercles, at first of a semilunar shape, 

 and which form the two styles ; these speedily become coherent, 

 and are pushed up from below and thus grow in length. The 

 calyx of Composites, or what corresponds to it, only appears after 

 the corolla, and then as a sort of thickened ring, from which the 

 pappus-hairs or scales subsequently j)roceed. The development of 

 the stamens and corolla is precisely the same as in the monstrous 

 flowers above described. '•' 



The facts just cited raise the question whether or no there is a 

 true calyx in Composites, and what is the nature of the pappus ? It 

 would occupy far too much space to go into these questions fully here. 

 I can only indicate a few of the more important points, and leave the 

 reader to consult the rather voluminous literature of the subject for 

 himself. For my own part I am disposed, from the facts above 

 mentioned and from my examination of a large number of terato- 

 logical specimens, to agree with those who, like Buchenauf and 



* See Payer, ' Organogenic Yegetale,' p. 637, whose observations on the 

 development of the flowers of Composites I have frequently verified. See also 

 Dnchartre, " Snr les Fleurs des Dipsacus ot Helianthus," in ' Ann. Sc. Nat.' ser. 

 2, vol. xvi. (iBil), p. 221 ; and Kohne, ' Ueber Eliithenentwickelung bei den 

 Compositen ' ; the last only known to me from the summary in the ' Bull. Soc. 

 Lot. France,' vol. xvi. p. 109, Rev. Bibl. 



+ Buclienau, Ueber Eliithenentwickelung bei den Compositen, ' Bot. Zei- 

 tung,' 1872, un. 18 — 20. Warming oni Forskjedem nielU-m trichomer og 

 Epiblasteraer af hojere Eang. (1873), analysis in 'Bull. Soc. Bot. Fi-ance,' t. xx. 

 p. 217, Rev. Bibl. 



