IN CEYLON. 103 



corolla segments. The male flowers possess a very large 

 number of stamens, there being rarely less than sixteen and 

 very often over twenty-two in each flower. The stamens 

 are nearly all in pairs, each having the inner stamen shorter 

 than the outer and with the filaments of each pair united 

 throughout the greater part of their length ; sometimes 

 three anthers are supported on the same united filament. 



In some flowers I have found eight pairs arranged 

 opposite to and alternate with the corolla segments, but in 

 by far the greater number of flowers the pairs of anthers 

 are in excess of twice the corolla segments. In one flower 

 possessing ten pairs of stamens there was always a pair 

 alternating with the corolla segments ; the remaining six 

 pairs were arranged as two pairs on each of two corolla 

 segments and a separate pair on each of the other two 

 corolla segments. 



If we allow that in the production of the female flower 

 sterilization and reduction in number has occurred, we 

 can easily understand the derivation of the four-seried 

 flower from one having staminal members alternate with 

 and opposite to each corolla segment, as is now seen in 

 male flowers possessing eight groups of stamens. Hence 

 the evolution from the hermaphrodite type is rendered 

 possible. 



In D. Embryopteris we have a difficult case, since there is 

 practically nothing to connect the four staminodes of each 

 female whorl with the male ring of thirty or forty stamens. 

 The indefinite stamens in each male flower are sometimes 

 separate, at other times united in pairs, and may be epipetal- 

 ous or hypogynous. In D. affinis the conditions are almost 

 the same as in D. Embryqpteris, since the male staminal * 



whorl consists of sixteen or more members apparently Cl'n.'Qr< 

 disposed without any definite relation to the accessory 

 whorls. The stamens occur in pairs or are single, and form 

 an epipetalous ring or hypogynous group. Each female 

 flower possesses from six to eight staminodes arranged on 

 the corolla opposite to and alternate with its segments. 



