332 M. De Candolk on Double Flowers'. [May, 



1. Those in which the base of the seed touches the summit of 

 the ovary ; 2. Those in which the base of the seed touches the 

 base of the ovary ; in both these the fruit contains only a single 

 seed ; and, 3 . Those in which the base of the seed is situated on 

 the side which is nearest the axis of the flower, and where each 

 fruit contains many seeds. All the species of the first section 

 have flat petals, both in the single and in the double flowers ; of 

 this description are the clematis, the thalictrum, the anemone, 

 the adonis. Those of the second class have their petals in the 

 form of horns, both in their natural and their monstrous state ; 

 such are the ranunculus and the flcaria : while those of the third 

 class present both kinds of petals ; such as the hellebore, the 

 nigella, the aconite, and particularly the columbine. All the 

 remarks that have been made respecting the petals apply equally 

 to these flowers, both in their ordinary and in their monstrous 

 state. 



From all these facts, deduced from a great number of different 

 families of plants, and under a variety of circumstances, we 

 seem to be still further confirmed in the opinion that the petals 

 are not special organs, but a particular state of the stamens. 

 The petals appear no less entitled to be regarded as stamens, 

 either in an abortive or transformed state, than the scales of 

 buds are to be regarded as leaves, and thorns as abortive 

 branches, opinions which are entertained by almost all natu- 

 ralists. 



Hitherto we have only considered those double flowers the 

 organization of which is the least obscure, those which are pro- 

 duced by the simple transformation of one of the organs of the 

 flower ; but a different phenomenon often occurs, which it is 

 much more difficult to explain, where a single organ appears to 

 be multiplied in such a manner as to form a great number of 

 small parts. Thus in the double primrose we find a number 

 of petaloid lobes, which, by their form and position, evidently 

 derive their origin from the corolla, and seem to be the natural 

 lobes of the corolla multiplied indefinitely. Within this first row 

 are found five bundles of staminal petals, composed of a number 

 of petaloid lobes, proceeding from a small pedicle which repre- 

 sents the base of the filament ; and in the centre we often find 

 the ovary carrying a short stile, spread out likewise into a 

 number of petaloid lobes. It may be remarked that this manner 

 of multiplying the parts is common in those plants, the corolla of 

 which, in their natural state, exhibits some traces of doubling ; 

 for example, in the primulaceae and in the narcissus, at the 

 entrance of the tube of the corolla, there is either a little excres- 

 cence, or a little corona; and when these flowers become 

 double, it is found that the species which possess these parts 

 are the most disposed to have the lobes of the corolla multiplied. 



There is another kind of flowers, which ought to be ranked 

 among double flowers, although they are simple, where the 



