THE RUE FAMILY 221 



either altogether rudimentary, or had the anthers apparently 

 aborted. The other four liad large anthers on short filaments. 

 The four carpels, in place of being in contact, were completely 

 free, and instead of having four united styles, as in the 

 normal flower, with a single stigma, the cleistogamic flower 



Fig. 67. Melicoiie simplex (life size). 



had four more or less distinct styles. The flowers were pen- 

 dulous, and probably the pollen matured early, and was shed 

 into the apex of the corolla, thus reaching the stigma. As the 

 filaments were shorter than the ovary, it was impossible for 

 the pollen to pass directly from anther to stigma. 



This plant, like several other New Zealand species, is found 

 sometimes with hermaphrodite, sometimes with dioecious 



