950 



the racemes to take the form known as " Peloria," the rest retaining 

 their usual character. In both of these uppermost flowers the fifth 

 stamen, which is usually rudimentary only and abortive in this genus, 

 is, with its anther, fully developed, and in consequence apparently of 

 its presence their corolla loses the ringent shape, and assumes a regu- 

 lar form, in one flower with five, and in the other with six lips, pro- 

 vided with their downy palates, leaving an open, central space 

 in which lie the large, full-grown anthers. In what state of devel- 

 opment the pistils may be, I am unable at present to determine, being 

 unwilling to destroy these singular blossoms. 



This remarkable condition of flowers, which are commonly irregu- 

 lar, was long believed to be peculiar to Linaria vulgaris, but according 

 to De Candolle (Organographie Vegetale, i. 519), has been noticed 

 not only in other species of Linaria, but also in the genera Antirrhi- 

 num, Digitalis, Sesamum, Galeopsis, Viola, and Orchis. It would be 

 interesting and instructive, should any of your readers meet with in- 

 stances of this kind in those or other irregular genera, were they to 

 note them and make them known in your valuable periodical. 



James Hussey. 



Salisbury, June 18, 1850. 



Note on an Aberration in the Floral Envelopes of a Fuchsia. 

 By Edward Newman. 



In this instance the organs present were as follows : — 



1. Sepals four, of normal size and figure. 



2. Stamens eight ; four of them, greatly exceeding the sepals in 

 length, arise from the exact centre of the base of the sepals, one to 

 each, the other four exactly equalling the sepals in length, alternate 

 with the first, and arise from the notches between the sepals. The 

 stamens, indeed, are quite normal ; the filaments w r hite, untinged by 

 any colour; the anthers of normal size, and pollinigerous. 



3. Pistil of normal form and length. 



The noticeable character is the entire absence of the interior floral 

 envelope ; not the slightest trace of this is visible. The plant pro- 

 duced no flowers differing from the one described. 



A few queries arise for the morphologist to solve. First, How are 

 the petals represented in this instance ? Secondly, Supposing them 

 converted either into the four shorter stamens or the four longer sta- 



