278 OBSERVATIONS ON THE NATURAL FAMILY 



But a fact, which I do not find any where observed, 

 respecting the inflorescence of certain species of Scabiosa, 

 particularly succisa and atropurjmrea, is not so easily 

 reconcilable with the compound spike : in these, and I have 

 reason to think in many other species of the genus, the 

 expansion begins simultaneously at the base and middle of 

 the capitulum, proceeding regularly upwards from both 

 points. Were this the case in all Scabiosae, the com- 

 pound nature of the spike in Dipsacese, although by no 

 means proved, might be considered not improbable : 

 there are, however, several species of the genus in which 

 the order of expansion is altogether that of the simple 

 spike. 



Connected with the subject of inflorescence, I may 

 remark that priority of development, whether among simi- 

 lar parts in the same flower or the different flowers of the 

 same spike, is generally accompanied with greater per- 

 fection of these parts or flowers, and apparently with 

 greater power of resisting the ordinary causes of abortion 

 or obliteration. 



I have formerly 1 observed respecting several natural 

 families of plants, in which the stamina are in a deter- 

 98] minate number, but a number subject to reduction, that 

 this reduction, where the flower is of a regular form, takes 

 place in the same order in each natural family. Thus in 

 Juncece, which are generally hexandrous, the triandrous 

 species have their stamina constantly placed opposite to the 

 three outer leaves of the perianthium, while in Restiacese, 

 Asphodeleae, and 1 believe in a great part of the regular- 

 flowered Liliaceae, in certain species of which a similar 

 reduction occurs, the stamina in the triandrous species are 

 placed opposite to the inner leaves or segments of the 

 perianthium. But in both cases the greater perfection of 

 those stamina that exist in genera or species reduced to the 

 smallest number, is indicated, where there is no reduction, 

 by the earlier bursting of their antherse ; so that from this 

 circumstance the order of reduction or abortion of stamina 



1 In Prodr. Flor. Kov. Holl. vol. i, and Appendix to Flinders's Voyage to 

 Terra Australis [vol. i, p. 52]. 



