IRREGULAR PELORIA. 233 



part of the receptacle between tlio insertion of the 

 petals and that of the stamens is dilated so as to form 

 the spur which is so characteristic in the genus. The 

 position of the spur in a line with the posterior sepal 

 has led many botanists to consider it as a process of 

 that sepal, but the fact of its being situated within the 

 insertion of the petals is conclusive as to its receptacular 

 origin. In the flowers exhibited the supernumerary- 

 spur (as if to show its want of connection with any 

 sepal) was placed exactly between a lateral sepal and 

 one of the anterior sepals, sometimes on the one side of 

 the flower and sometimes on the other. These addi- 

 tional spurs were precisely similar to the normal ones, 

 except that they were a little shorter. This abnor- 

 mahty, although at first sight seeming to indicate a 

 pelorian tendency, is no approximation to regularity, 

 from the fact of the extra spur being differently placed, 

 with regard to the sepals, from the normal one." 



Peloria of this kind, when perfect, is very often 

 associated with other alterations. Change of direction 

 is one of the most common of these ; the usually 

 drooping flower becomes erect, the stamens and style 

 also are changed in direction, while, not unfrequently, 

 either the one or the other (most often the stamens) 

 are entirely suppressed. With this suppression an 

 increase in the size of the flower very generally coin- 

 cides. The number of parts is also frequently in- 

 creased ; thus, in Antirrliinum majus the corolla, when 

 subjected to peloria, is very generally six-parted, and 

 has six stamens. Fusion of one or more flowers is also 

 a common accompaniment of peloria, as in Digitalis 

 purpurea^ in which plant prolification often adds in- 

 creased complexity to the flower. 



It has been stated by Moquin and others that the 

 uppermost flower of an inflorescence is the most subject 

 to peloria ; the uppermost flower of Teucrium campanu- 

 latunii for instance, is very generally regular. In Calceo- 

 laria it is the central terminal flower which is usually 

 peloriated ; on the other hand, in lAnariu and Antin'- 



