IN CEYLON. 91 



twenty to forty stamens arranged to form an epipetalous 

 ring, a hypogynous group, or part epipetalous and the 

 remainder hypogynous. The stamens are nearly equal in 

 length and occasionally the filaments are fused at the base. 

 In D. Togosia there are from eighteen to thirty-four stamens 

 of unequal length usually forming a hypogynous central 

 group. In D. Melanoxylon there may be from ten to twenty 

 stamens usually paired~and forming a hypogynous group 

 terminating the receptacle. In one flower there were 

 thirteen stamens arranged as five pairs, each having the 

 inner stamen shorter than the outer one, one pair with 

 individuals of equal length, and one long stamen separate 

 from all others. 



In another flower of the same species there were fifteen 

 stamens arranged in two whorls, the outer with eight and 

 the inner with seven members. In the outer whorl four 

 were arranged as two adjacent pairs and the remaining four 

 as separate successive stamens ; the inner whorl consisted of 

 two united at the filament and the remaining seven separate. 



In all those cases where there is an outer and inner whorl 

 the stamens of the inner whorl are always shorter than 

 those of the outer, the difference in length being usually in 

 the filament. 



In the male flowers of D. Ebenum similar variations may 

 be noted in the number and position of the stamens. The 

 number varies from about sixteen to thirty-five, but in the 

 majority of flowers examined they are arranged as eight 

 groups, each group having two, three, or four anthers 

 supported on filaments of varying length. These eight 

 groups are usually epipetalous and arranged opposite to 

 and alternate with the corolla lobes. If we take one group 

 of four stamens, we find it to be composed of a basal pedicel 

 0-1 cm. long, and bearing at this level two lateral, fertile, 

 sessile anthers ; above this level a third anther disposed 

 introrsely is given off, and on the continued filament above 

 this level is the fourth anther, always the outermost and 

 disposed introrsely. The total length of such a stamina 



