CHAPTER XXVI. 



DEGENERACY OF FLOWERS. 



Inconspicuous and Oleistogamous * Flowers. — Degeneracy 

 in plants is as of frequent occurrence as in animals ; and just 

 as it implies no pathological or anything of a constitutionally 

 injurious character in them, so, it must be distinctly borne 

 in mind, does it imply nothing of the sort in plants. The 

 word means "down from the genus ; " like " degradation," it 

 is only a " step downwards." It implies retrogressive or at 

 least arrested conditions ; but a degraded flower often 

 acquires new features, qualifying it for securing self-fertili- 

 sation with a far greater certainty than was the case with its 

 more conspicuously flowering ancestors. 



There are several causes which can bring about degrada- 

 tions in the various organs of plants, such as growth in 

 water, subterranean habits, parasitic and saprophytic states, 

 freedom from strains, compensation, etc. Though it would 

 be interesting to trace out the cause and effect in each case, 

 I must content myself with flowers, and particularly the 

 essential organs. 



There are two principal causes which may be styled the 

 rationale of degradation in flowers. The first is compensa- 

 tion, when the vegetative system is in too great activity to 



* Cleistogamous, "a closed nnioD," i.e. when flowers are self- 

 fertilising without opening. 



