SYNCARPY. 49 



Leg.,' pi. 2, fig. C; pi. 3, fig. 2.) At. times these 

 carpels become fused together, and it becomes difficult, 

 when the traces of the flower have disappeared, to 

 ascertain whether these carpels were formed in one 

 flower, or whether they were the result of the fusion of 

 several blossoms. I have seen an instance of this kind 

 in a plum in which there were two carpels in the same 

 flower, the one being partially fused to the other. The 

 nature of such cases may usually be determined by an 

 inspection of the peduncle which shows no traces of 

 fusion. (See chapter on Multiplication.) 



When, however, the fruits are sessile, and they 

 become grafted together, the kind of syncarpy is 

 difficult to distinguish. It may, nevertheless, be said as 

 a general rule that the union brought about by the 

 approximation of two fruits, after the fall of the floral 

 whorls, is never so complete or so intimate as that 

 determined by synanthy ; and also that in those cases 

 where there are supernumerary carpels in the flower, 

 and those carpels become united together, they are 

 rarely so completely fused that their individuality is 

 lost. 



An analogous phenomenon takes place not uncom- 

 monly in mosses, the spore capsules of which become 

 united together in various ways and degrees. Schimper^ 

 cites the following species as subject to this anomaly : 

 Buxbaumia indiisiata, Leskea sericea^ Hypnnm luteseens, 

 Anomodon aUematus^ CUnacium dendroides^ Bnjinn ccespi- 

 titiurriy Brachythecium phimosuWy Mnium serratuw^ 

 Splachnum vasculosum. It has also been observed in 

 Ti'ichostmnum rujidulmn and Hypnmii triquetrnm. 



In addition to the authorities already mentioned, the reader may 

 consult Moquin-Tandon, ' El. Ter. Veg.,' p. 270. Turpin, ' Mem. grefFe, 

 Ann. Sc. Nat.,' ser. i, t. xxiv, p. 334. 6e Candolle, ' Organ. Veget.,' t. i. 

 Duhamel, ' Phys. des Arbres,' t. i, p. 304, tab. xiii, xiv. Weber, 

 'Verhandl. Nat. Hist. Vereins f. d. Preuss. Rheinl. u. Westphal.,' 

 1860, p. 332, tab. vi et vii. 



Bull. Soc. Bot. Franc.,' 8, pp. 73 and 351. tab. ii ; and Rose. ' Bot. 

 Zeit.,' X, p. 410. 



4 



