

The anomalous anther-structure of Dicorynia, Duparquetia, and 



Strum pfia 



James Arthur Harris 



While engaged in the histological portions of a study of the 

 apically dehiscent anther,* I found myself particularly interested 

 by three forms which have not been fully understood by system- 

 atists, and since it will probably be a considerable time before my 

 final memoir can appear it has seemed advisable to offer my notes 

 on these genera in a form and place which will render them more 

 accessible to the taxonomist, for whom they are particularly in- 

 tended, than they would be in a thick paper of morphological and 

 ecological nature. The forms to be considered here are Dicorynia 

 and Duparquetia of the Leguminosae, and Strtunpfia of the 



Rubiaceae. 

 We m 



strictly to the morphological 



features, leaving histological detail for the special treatment. 



The first form is Dicorynia Benth. f The androecium of this 

 peculiar South American representative of the Cassieae has been 

 characterized as follows : Stamens 2, free, unequal ; filaments short 

 and thick ; anthers basifixed, oblong, short and thick, that of the 

 shorter stamen longer, often 8-locellate, dehiscing at the apex. 



The form of the anthers in the specimen examined agrees very 

 closely indeed with that figured in Flora Brasiliensis. Both anthers 

 are smooth, brown in color and very hard. A series of sections 

 was secured and mounted in sequence. Figures 1, a and I, b 

 represent sections from near the base and tip of the smaller 

 anther, the one borne on the longer filament, and show that it has 

 the 4-locellate structure of a typical anther. 



In systematic works the larger anther, borne on the shorter 

 filament has been described as 8-locellate, and the first prepara- 



See Harris, J. A. Ann. Rep. Missouri Bot. Gard. 16 : 167-257 (1905), and 



Canadian Entomologist 37 : 353^357, 373~3 8o > 393~39 8 (i9°5)- 



t Benth.; Mart. FI. Bras. 15 2 : 81. //. 29.— Benth. & Hook. Gen. PI. 1 : 571. 



Taubert ; E. & P. Nat. Pfl. 3 s : 165. 



223 



