﻿104 
  

  

  Dr. 
  E. 
  J. 
  Salisbury 
  exhibited 
  the 
  branched 
  carpels 
  of 
  Clematis 
  

   vitalba 
  and 
  subsequently 
  contributed 
  the 
  following 
  note 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  "The 
  exhibit 
  shows 
  twelve 
  specimens 
  of 
  branched 
  (or 
  fused?) 
  

   carpels 
  from 
  twelve 
  separate 
  finitiary 
  heads 
  of 
  Clematis 
  vitalba. 
  As 
  

   is 
  well 
  known, 
  the 
  normal 
  achene 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  bears 
  a 
  long 
  

   feathery 
  style, 
  which 
  at 
  maturity 
  attains 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  about 
  25mm. 
  

   The 
  specimens 
  in 
  question 
  bear 
  two 
  styles, 
  in 
  place 
  of 
  one, 
  these 
  

   being 
  quite 
  separate 
  or 
  joined 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  only. 
  

   The 
  body 
  of 
  the 
  achenes 
  shows 
  clear 
  indication 
  of 
  double 
  origin, 
  

   since 
  eight 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  twelve 
  specimens 
  present 
  a 
  longitudinal, 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  median, 
  furrow, 
  indicating 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  partial 
  separation, 
  

   or 
  incomplete 
  fusion, 
  between 
  the 
  component 
  parts. 
  Evidently, 
  

   then, 
  these 
  instances 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  interpreted 
  as 
  either 
  due 
  to 
  fission, 
  

   or 
  fusion, 
  of 
  the 
  original 
  carpel 
  rudiments, 
  most 
  probably, 
  in 
  view 
  

   of 
  the 
  distinct 
  styles, 
  they 
  represent 
  a 
  fission 
  followed 
  by 
  partial 
  

   fusion 
  resulting 
  from 
  the 
  contiguity 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  halves. 
  It 
  will 
  be 
  

   manifest 
  that 
  vs^here 
  the 
  process, 
  whether 
  of 
  fission 
  or 
  fusion, 
  is 
  

   complete 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  no 
  outward 
  indication 
  of 
  the 
  abnormal 
  mode 
  

   of 
  origin, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  frequency 
  of 
  such 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  inferred 
  from 
  

   that 
  of 
  the, 
  probably 
  very 
  much 
  less 
  common, 
  cases 
  where 
  the 
  

   process 
  is 
  incomplete. 
  Approximately 
  2% 
  of 
  over 
  1000 
  finiting 
  

   heads 
  (ca. 
  1 
  in 
  1300 
  carpels) 
  showed 
  bifurcated 
  carpels, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  

   not 
  unlikely 
  that 
  complete 
  fission 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  phenomenon. 
  

   Similar 
  branched 
  carpels 
  have 
  been 
  observed 
  by 
  the 
  exhibitor 
  in 
  

   Hellebonis 
  niger 
  and 
  Anemone 
  apeyinina, 
  and, 
  as 
  I 
  have 
  shown 
  else- 
  

   where, 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  phenomenon 
  in 
  the 
  perianth 
  and 
  androecium 
  

   of 
  the 
  Pianimcidaccd' 
  (cf. 
  Annals 
  of 
  Botany, 
  Jan., 
  1919). 
  The 
  

   feature 
  here 
  considered 
  had 
  an 
  important 
  significance 
  in 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  

   great 
  variability 
  in 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  carpels 
  produced 
  by 
  each 
  flower 
  

   of 
  the 
  Old 
  Man's 
  Beard 
  {C. 
  vitalba), 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  as 
  few 
  as 
  nine 
  

   or 
  over 
  fifty. 
  In 
  each 
  inflorescence 
  the 
  range 
  is, 
  however, 
  much 
  

   more 
  restricted, 
  and 
  the 
  meristic 
  variation 
  may 
  be 
  in 
  large 
  part 
  an 
  

   outcome 
  of 
  the 
  process 
  here 
  adumbrated." 
  

  

  Mr. 
  A. 
  A. 
  W. 
  Buckstone 
  exhibited 
  (1) 
  a 
  bred 
  series 
  of 
  Hi/i/rochroa 
  

   syrini/aria. 
  " 
  Male 
  parent 
  normal, 
  female 
  parent 
  with 
  forewings 
  

   very 
  much 
  deformed. 
  These 
  specimens 
  are 
  representative 
  of 
  a 
  

   number, 
  none 
  of 
  which 
  had 
  normal 
  wings. 
  

  

  " 
  Emergence 
  took 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  September 
  as 
  a 
  partial 
  

   second 
  brood 
  ; 
  the 
  less 
  precocious 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  brood 
  died 
  as 
  

   larvag 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  spring." 
  

  

  (2) 
  A 
  series 
  of 
  " 
  bleached 
  " 
  and 
  teratological 
  specimens 
  showing 
  

   many 
  forms 
  of 
  malformation 
  and 
  crippling. 
  

  

  