SYNANTHY. 87 



are united together, so that we have a single peduncle, 

 bearing at its extremity two flowers placed in approxi- 

 mation very slightly adherent one to the other. In 

 this manner I have seen three flowers of the vegetable 

 marrow on a common stalk, the flowers themselves 

 being only united at the extreme base. Occasionally 

 cases may be met w4th wherein the pedicels of a stalked 

 flower become adherent to the side of a sessile flower. 

 I have noticed this commonly in Umbelliferce. Union of 

 this kind occurs frequently in the common cornel 

 {Comus), wherein one of the lower flowers becomes 

 adherent to one of the upper ones. In De Candolle's 

 * Organographie Vegetale,' Plates 14 and 15, are 

 figured cases of fusion of the flower stems of the 

 Hyacinth and of a Gentaurea. In other cases the 

 union involves not only the stalk but the flowers them- 

 selves ; thus fusion of the flowers is a common accom- 

 paniment of fasciation, as was the case in the Campa- 

 nula figured in the cut (fig. 14). 



Fig. 14. Synantliic flowei-s of Campanula medium. 



Synanthy may take place without much derangement 

 of the structure of either flower, or the union may be 

 attended with abortion or suppression of some of the 



