362 POLYPHYLLY. 



of seven stamens in another Crucifer, Io7wpidiuvi 

 acaule. Here the supernumerary organ was placed 

 between two of the long stamens. The effect of 

 chorisis in producing an augmentation of parts is well 

 seen in some plants that have some of their flowers 

 provided with staminodes or abortive stamens, and 

 others with clusters or phalanges of perfect stamens. 

 Thus, in the female flowers of Liquidambar there are 

 five small staminodes without anthers, whereas in the 

 male flower the stamens are numerous and grouped 

 together in phalanges, so that the relation of simple to 

 compound stamens is in this case readily seen, as also 

 in many Malvacece^ Sterculiacece, Buttneriaceoe, Tiliacew, 

 and Myrtacece. It is probably the idea of splitting or 

 dilamination involved in the word chorisis that has 

 led many English botanists to hesitate about accept- 

 ing the notion. Had they looked upon the process as 

 identical with that by which a branched inflorescence 

 replaces an unbranched one, or a compound leaf takes 

 the place of a simple one, the objections would not have 

 been raised with such force. The process consists, in 

 most cases, not so much in actual cleavage of a pre- 

 existing organ as in the development of new-growing 

 points from the old ones. 



An illustration given by Moquin from DunaP goes 

 far to support the notion here adopted. The majority 

 of the stamens of laurels (Laurus) have, says M. Dunal, 

 on each side of the base of their filaments a small 

 glandular bifid appendage ; these excrescences are liable 

 to be changed into small stamens. The male flowers 

 have a four-leaved calyx, and sometimes eight stamens, 

 each with two glands, four in one row, opposite to the 

 sepals, four in a second series alternating with the 

 first. More generally two of the stamens are destitute 

 of glands, but have in their place a perfectly developed 

 stamen, so that in these latter flowers there are twelve 

 stamens. 



' Loc. cit., 351. 



