346 



ORGANOGRAPHY. 



Houseleek, some species of Papaver, &c. In a paper, published 

 by the author in the 'Pharmaceutical Journal for March, 1856, 

 a very remarkable instance of this transition from stamens 

 10 carpels was described ; it occurred in the Pa'pamr hracteatum. 

 In this case, several whorls of bodies, intermediate in their 

 nature between stamens and carpels, were found between the 

 true androecium and gyncecium. The outer whorls of the in- 

 termediate bodies differed from the ordinary stamens, in their 

 colour, in being of a more fleshy nature, and in being enlarged 

 at their upper extremity and inner surface into rudimentary 

 stigmas ; in other respects they resembled the stamens, and 

 possessed well-marked anthers containing pollen. The whorls 

 next in succession gradually lost their anthers, became more 

 fleshy, bore evident stigmas, and on their inner surfaces, which 

 were slightly concave, they had rudimen- 

 tary ovules. Still more internally, the 

 intermediate bodies, whilst resembling 

 those just described in their general appear- 

 ance, became more concave on their inner 

 surface, and bore numerous perfect ovules ; 

 and within these, the intermediate bodies 

 had their two margins folded completely 

 inwards and united, and thus formed per- 

 fect carpels. Such an example as this 

 shows in a striking manner, that the sta- 

 mens and carpels are formed upon a com- 

 mon type, and hence the latter are, like the 

 former, merely modified leaves. The ana- 

 logy of the carpel to the leaf is, however, 

 constantly shown in cidtivated flowers, even 

 in a more striking manner than the stamen 

 is thus proved to be a modified condition 

 of that organ. Thus in many double 

 flowers, as Buttercups and Roses, the car- 

 pels, as well as the stamens, become trans- 

 formed into petals. It is by no means 

 rare, again, to find the carpels transformed 

 into true leaves in cultivated Roses, &c. 

 A similar condition also occurs in the Dou- 

 ble Cherry {figs. 572-74), and has been al- 

 ready fully described when speaking of the 

 carpel ; in which place we have also shown 

 the analogy of the carpel with the leaf, by 

 tracing its development from a little concave 

 body but slightly differing in appearance 

 from a leaf, up to its mature condition 

 as a closed cavity, containing one or more ovules. We have, 

 therefore, as regards the carpel, the most conclusive evidence of 



Fig. 763. A monstrous 

 Pear, showing the ax- 

 is prolonged beyond 

 the fruit, and bear- 

 ing true leaves. 



