336 TRANSACTIONS AND PROCKEDINGS OF THE [Sess. lxiv. 



Irregularities due to branchino; in the stamens are by 

 no means uncommon — the middle third of the filament 

 being deeply grooved medially and longitudinally on the 

 posterior and anterior faces, and the two halves diverging 

 as lateral branches in the upper third. 



Vascular Supply of the Andra^cium (Fig. 1). — At the 

 base of the toral cup a complete circular stele gives off 

 ten strands, which pass out separately to the epicalycine 

 and calycine segments. 



From each epicalycine bumlle a petal is supplied, and 

 also the neighbouring stamen. Thus, in the figure which 

 represents the vascular supply of a flower of Type 4, the 

 two parapelalous and the solitary oppositipetalous stamens 

 are so supplied, the former two by strands which branch 

 off" on either side of each epicalycine strand near its 

 origin at the central stele ; they may arise separately 

 from the epicalycine strands, and then there appear twenty 

 separate strands in all. The sepaline stamens are supplied 

 by strands wiiich come off laterally from the corresponding 

 sepaline strand about half-way up the toral cup. Towards 

 the rim of tlie cup lateral anastomoses occur between 

 adjacent bundles, and here are situated the nectaries 

 which are thus richly supplied. 



Nectaries. — Bonnier (" Annales des Sc. Nat.," Ser. vi. vol. 8) 

 describes the nectaries of P. Frcujarla and P. verna. He states 

 that the nectariferous tissue forms a ring; that it is compoeed 

 of cells smaller than those of the surrounding parencliyma. 

 The cells have non-granular refringent contents of a uniform 

 yellow colour. This description does not apply to every 

 case, as far as my observations go. A complete nectariferous 

 ring of a chrome-orange colour exists in scnne species, 

 surrounding the bases of the stamens, and extending 

 int(;rnal to thcMu. In other species the nectaries are five 

 in number, himon-yellow in colour, each consisting of a 

 mumillated convex or shallow concave surface, internal to 

 the bases of the petaline stamens (Fig. I and 1 2, n.). Farther, 

 Donnior states that the nectariferous tissue has no distinct 

 epideiniis. I fiiui, <m the contrary, in many, an epidermis 

 of well-marked columnar epithelial cells. These, however, 

 are early j'nptur-ed, ;ind the (jld nectaries ap])ear to liave a 

 ragged surface. 



