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A similar change of the original position of the parts during 

 the process of ripening was also observed by M. Kunth in 

 the fruit of the Cruciferae. The ovarium for instance is so 

 placed in these plants that the axis corresponds to the dis- 

 sepiment ; but in fruits where the dissepiment expands it is 

 situated laterally with respect to the axis. 



M. Mohl* has given a complete description of a deformed 

 hermaphrodite floral catkin of Pinus alba, which explains va- 

 rious points in the morphological signification of the flowers 

 of the Conifers in a very decisive manner, and which will evi- 

 dently settle the differences of opinion that prevail among bo- 

 tanists on this subject. He found these monstrosities on se- 

 veral female catkins of Pinus alba, on the lower half of which the 

 flowers formed more or less perfect transitions to male flowers, 

 while the upper portion was covered with perfectly normal fe- 

 male flowers, which also commenced, in those specimens that 

 were left for some time longer on the tree, developing very re- 

 gularly into fruit. All those flowers which formed a transition 

 to male flowers consisted, like the normal female flower, of two 

 organs, the bract and its axillary carpellary leaf; each of these 

 parts differed from the normal type, the bract for instance was 

 more or less perfectly converted into a stamen, and the carpel- 

 lary leaf was, the more completely this change of the bract 

 belonging to it had taken place, developed of a smaller size, 

 and less perfectly. The inferior flowers of these catkins were 

 smaller, and the ovules had not developed on their carpel-leaf. 

 In the upper flowers the carpel-leaf was smaller, it was some- 

 what bent forwards superiorly, and had become linguiform. 

 In the highest flowers it represented a scale folded together, and 

 was nearly quite green. In the same proportion as the carpel 

 diminished the bract expanded, not only in respect to size but 

 much more with reference to structure. In the inferior flowers 

 there was on the outer side of the bract, above its base, a round 

 protuberance of a yellowish green colour, which possessed in 

 its interior a hollow cavity filled with pollen grains ; the upper 

 portion of the bract stood, like the carpel-leaf, erect. Upon the 

 upper surface of this bract, along its middle line and from its 

 point of insertion to its summit, proceeded a somewhat raised 

 ridge, which corresponded to the connective of the normal an- 



* Ueber die mannlichen Bliithen der Coniferen. Tubingen, 1837. 



K 



