Harris : Anomalous anther-structure 225 



slightly sagittate at the base and bifid at the apex, with the locules 

 acuminate, longitudinally sulcate and dehiscing above by short 

 slits not extending more than half the length of the locules ; three 

 upper stamens longitudinally connate, i or 2 lateral free, or all 

 more or less firmly coherent at time of flowering, all strongly de- 

 curved over the ovary. 



I have examined this form and find that dehiscence is as de- 

 scribed. The anthers in my specimen were four, on very short, 

 free filaments. In the dry condition they were hard, with the in- 

 trorse terminal slit widely open but not extending more than a 

 third the length of the conspicuous longitudinal furrow. When 

 moist the walls were leathery in texture. In this condition they 

 may easily be ruptured along the furrow, but the wall is firm 

 enough here to indicate that in nature dehiscence is probably con- 

 fined exclusively to the short terminal slits. 



As will be seen from the literature some confusion has pre- 

 vailed concerning the androecium of this species. Baillon consid- 

 ered that there are eight apiculate, laterally coherent unilocular 

 anthers. Other writers have correctly regarded the androecium 

 as composed of four or five laterally coherent bilocular anthers, 

 with each locule produced into a terminal apiculum. This inter- 

 pretation has been corroborated, with the addition of very inter- 

 esting structural points, by the study of serial sections. 



The members of the androecium are slightly coherent, but so 

 far as could be determined there is no organic connection. 



The structure of the anther is most intelligible when the sec- 

 tions are followed from the base towards the tip. As will be seen 

 from figures representing the gross structure of the flower, the 

 individual anthers are borne on short, flattened filaments extend- 

 ing as a ventral dark-brown connective towards the tip of the 

 anther. The lowermost sections show only this connective (figure 

 , a). A little above this plane the locules will be seen, the walls 

 originating from the ventral surface of the connective (or filament) 

 towards the median line (figure 2, b), the two margins of the con- 

 nective extending as lateral wings. A little further above, the 

 sections show a normal introrse anther with a prominent connec- 

 tive and two locules. The locellus-walls are broken down but 



2 



very 



