r^O THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 



axis on Avliicli sporophylls and accessory organs are aggregated for 

 purposes of reproduction, and considers under this head abnormal 

 structures affecting not only the "flower" of angiosperms but also 

 the " cones " of gymnosperms and vascular cryptogams and the 

 sporo])hylls of ferns. 



The*^ subject-matter is arranged under three main sections : — 

 di:fferentiation, simplification and adventitious flowers. Under the 

 flrst head are grouped the phenomena of proliferation ; forking and 

 fasciation ; disruption — a term employed to describe the splitting of 

 the maize-cob, a female inflorescence, into its primitive constituents 

 or branches, which have become fused together in the normal cob, the 

 result is a paniculate inflorescence resembling the male— ; positive 

 dedoublement, including polyphylly, an increase in the number of 

 members of a whorl and pleiotaxy, an increase in the number of 

 whorls ; dialysis — the dissociation of members belonging to the same 

 or different Avhorls ; and metamorphosis. The chapter on metamor- 

 phosis occupies more than one third of the volume. The view is 

 adopted that the *' flower " has been evolved from an elongated leafy 

 shoot, with the " cone " as an intermediate stage ; the pteridosperm- 

 C3^cad phylum supplies an objective case, the shoot becomes congested 

 and the leaf-like sporoplndls become reduced and simplified to the 

 modern cycad-sporophylls, and crowded in spirals or whorls on the 

 shortened axis. " If this is true of the flowers and cones of the 

 Cj^cads, it must be equall}' true of the very similarly organized 

 flowers of the Angiosperms." Under metamorphosis are considered 

 the phenomena of phyllody (also known as chloranthy), or the change 

 of floral leaves into leaf -like structures, as in the green rose ; squamody 

 and bractt^ody, or a change into scales or bracts ; sepalody ; petalody ; 

 zvgomor])hy, a change from a radiate to a bilateral synnnetry ; pelory ; 

 staminody ; carpellody and s]~)orangiody. These ])henomena are con- 

 sidered under the headings of the different organs affected, namely, 

 calyx, corolla, androecium, gyncKcium, and the sporophylls of ciypto- 

 gams. 



The section on simplification, a comparatively short one, includes 

 (1) the abbreviation of the inflorescence and flower — that is, the 

 opposite condition to proliferation ; (2) adnation of floral axes, 

 either with each other or with floral leaves, or of floral leaves with each 

 other ; (8) cohesion, such as synanthy or the union of entire flowers ; 

 and (4) suppression. 



Adventitious flowers are rare. Reference is made to a few cases 

 of flowers arising in tlie position of ovules, and the remarkable case of 

 the Xejjaul barley is described. 



Througliout the volume n\nnerous exam])les are described and 

 illustrated and their mori)h()l()gy and its bearing on general principles 

 is disciissed from the author's point of view as enunciated in the 

 mtroduction to the first volume. Tlie second like the earlier volume 

 is ])rofuselv ilhistrated and some of tlie ])lates are in colour. 



While botanists may differ from Mi*. "VVorsdelTs views on abstract 

 morphologv, they will be grateful for this classified arrangement and 

 description of a large series of plant abnormalities. The Principles 

 of Flartf Terafolofji/ will hold an im])ortant ])lace among botanical 

 bo(>k< of r.dVnMR'e. 



A. H. II. 



