94 



ALTERATION OF POSITION. 



column and ovary of this flower were in their normal 

 condition. 



Cohesion of two or more segments of the perianth 

 is frequently associated with displacements of this 

 nature : thus, in a flower of Dendrohium nohile^ a 

 diagram of which is given at fig. 48, the uppermost sepal 

 was coherent with one of the lateral ones, and at the 

 same time diminished in size, and, as it were, dragged 

 out of position. All the other organs of the flower are 



Fig. 48. Plan of malformed Fig. 49. Plan of natural airange- 

 flower of Dendrohium nobile. ment in Dendrohium nohile. The x x 



represent processes of the column, 

 perhaps rudiments of stamens. 



also more or less displaced, forming a minor degree of 

 the change already alluded to, and which Morren 

 termed speiranthy. The changes will be better appre- 

 ciated by comparing them with fig. 49, a diagram 

 showing the natural arrangement of 

 parts in this species. 



Sometimes the displacement seems 

 consequent on hypertrophy of one of 

 the parts of the flower, the dispro- 

 portionate size of one organ pushing 

 the others out of place. This was 

 the case in a violet, fig. 50, in which 

 one of the sepals s was greatly 

 thickened, and the petals and stamens 

 were displaced in consequence. 



It is curious to observe in many 

 of these cases that the transposed organ not only 



Pig. 50. Plan of 

 flower of violet 

 showing displace- 

 ment of petals, &c. 

 At 6 was a rudi- 

 ment of a stamen. 



