Some Anomalies 



were playing. Hence the expression ''per- 

 sonate corolla." 



The anomaly of the two-lipped corolla en- 

 tails modifications in the stamens, which have 

 to adapt themselves to the exigencies of the 

 space enclosed, which is narrower at one 

 point and roomier at another. Of the five 

 stamens, one is suppressed, while often leav- 

 ing a vestige at its base, as a certificate that 

 it was once there. The four others are 

 grouped into two pairs of unequal length, 

 with a tendency to the suppression of the les- 

 ser pair. 



The sage achieves this suppression. It 

 has only two stamens, those of the longer 

 pair. Moreover, on each of the staminal 

 filaments it preserves only half an anther. 

 According to the rule in the vast majority of 

 cases, an anther consists of two compart- 

 ments, placed back to back and separated 

 by a slender partition, known as the connec- 

 tive. The sage exaggerates the size of this 

 connective and makes of it the beam of a 

 balance placed crosswise on the filament. 

 At the end of one arm of this beam is the half 

 of an anther, that is to say, a pollen-sac; at 

 the other end is nothing. The whole of the 

 staminal verticil, all save that which is strictly 

 271 



