124 ALTERATION OF POSITION. 



As the carpels are not' untrequently absent in cases 

 of median prolification, it has been thought that the 

 pistil in such cases was metamorphosed into a stem 

 bearing leaves or flowers. Setting aside the physio- 

 logical difficulties in the way of accepting such an 

 opinion, an examination of any number of cases is 

 sufficient to refute it ; for, as Moquin well remarks, 

 the carpels may frequently be found either in an un- 

 altered condition or more or less modified. 



If the pistil be normally syncarpous, its constituent 

 carpels, if present at all in the prolified flower, become 

 disjoined one from the other to allow of the passage 

 between them of the prolonged axis ; thus in some 

 malformed flowers otDaucns Carota gathered in Switzer- 

 land (fig. 61), not only was the calyx partially detached 

 from the pistil, but the carpels themselves were leaf- 

 like, disjoined, and unprovided with ovules ; between 

 them rose a central prolongation of the axis, which 

 almost immediately divided into two branches, each 

 terminated by a small umbel of perfect flowers, sur- 

 rounded by minute bracts.^ 



' The tube of the calyx in these specimens was travei'sed by ten ribs, 

 apparently corresponding to the primaiy ridges of the normal fruit; 

 these ribs were destitute of spines, and the bristly secondaiy ridges 

 were entirely absent. Those portions of the carpels which were detached 

 from the calyx had each three ribs, a central and two lateral ones, which 

 appeared to be continuous with the ribs of the calyx below, although in 

 the case of the calyx there were ten, in the case of the cai'pels six ribs, 

 three to each. This diversity in number is thus explained : A circle of 

 vascular tissue ran round the interior of the calyx-tube, at its junction 

 with the limb, and at the point of insertion of the petals and stamens. 

 The vascular circle seemed to be formed from the confluence of the ten 

 ribs from below. Of the five ribs in each half of the calyx, the three 

 central ones were joined together just at the point of confluence with the 

 vascular circle, above which they formed but a single rib that traversing 

 the centre of the carpellary leaf; the two lateral i-ibs of each half of the 

 calyx seemed to be continuous, above the vascular rim, with the lateral 

 ribs of the carpel ; these lateral ribs were connected on either side with 

 the central one by short branches of communication. The disposition 

 of the ten ribs may be thus represented : 



111 111 



32323 32323 



11111 11111 



The lower line of figures represents the calycine ribs, the middle I'ow 



