Morplwlogy of the Pitcher oftlic Cephalotus follicularis. 173 



very common ; and in absence of tliis we are glad to meet 

 with any teratological deviations whicli may throw light 

 upon the subject. 



Some time ago our esteemed foreman at tlie Botanic 

 Garden here, Mr Eobert Lindsay, told me he had once seen 

 what appeared to him to be a pitcher springing from an 

 ordinary leaf, and I asked him to look at our plants from 

 time to time in hope of abnormalities presenting them- 

 selves. The result has been the detection of several very 

 interesting and instructive forms intermediate between the 

 ordinarj'' foliage-leaf and the pitcher ; and I have now very 

 great satisfaction in being able to pronounce a decided 

 opinion on the general morphological relations of the 

 Ceplialotus-])\iQh&v, even although I have to admit the 

 complete reversal of my previous conceptions of the subject. 



These abnormal leaves are four in number, of small size 

 and feeble development. I shall now describe them in 

 order of their extent of deviation from the form of the 

 ordinary foliage-leaf towards that of a pitcher. 



Specimen A (Plate V., fig. 2). — In general form this 

 closely resembles the foliage-leaf, presenting a somewhat 

 ovate blade narrowed gradually below into the leaf-stalk. 

 It exhibits, however, on the upper surface a somewhat 

 elliptical spoon-like excavation involving the terminal two- 

 thirds, or thereby, of the lamina. This excavation is 

 deepest at the end next the petiole, where it is bounded 

 by a pretty sharply defined border. On the lower surface, 

 towards the leaf-apex, there is distinct development of a 

 keel-like ridge in the middle line. In this specimen we 

 have the pitcher cavity foreshadowed by the spoon-like 

 excavation, while the keel-like ridge represents the middle 

 dorsal wing, which is a very prominent feature in the 

 perfect pitcher. 



Specimen B (Plate V., fig. 3). — Here the excavation 

 has advanced to the formation of a narrow somewhat elon- 

 gated funnel with oblique mouth, the far side of the orifice, 

 from the main axis, extending out beyond the near ; the 

 leaf-apex (in this case a little truncated) being at the far 

 side of the orifice. The near side of the orifice, instead of 

 exhibiting the simply rounded excision seen at the deeper 

 end of the spoon-like excavation in the first-mentioned 



