348 THE CROWFOOT FAMILY 



mens are replaced by more or less petal-like leaf-members 

 which, liowever, differ considerably in shape from the petals, 

 and show clearly their closer homology with filaments by nu- 

 merous intermediate forms (Figs. 294, 295). What here takes 

 place as an abnormality throws light upon the homology of 

 certain curious and puzzling organs often called "nectar- 

 leaves" which take the place of the outer stamens in many 

 flowers of the crowfoot family. In some anemonies — as in 

 the wood-anemony — the outer stamens have anthers, while 

 in other species like the pasque-flower the outer filaments 

 are destitute of anthers but instead have swollen lips which 

 secrete nectar (Figs. 194, 296 A). Antherless stamens are 

 called staniinodes.^ The nectar-leaves are most probably 

 of this nature. The Christmas rose has tubular staminodes; 

 the mouse-tail, staminodes somewhat club-shaped and bent; 

 crowfoots have them broadly expanded and petal-like; 

 fennel-flowers, more or less petal-like with a peculiar pouch; 

 while in columbines there is an outer set of colored staminodes 

 forming trumpet-like spurs which secrete nectar copiously, 

 and next to the carpels two inner sets of five each which 

 produce no nectar and are very thin and colorless (Figs. 284D, 

 2851 1, 296B-E). It is not unusual for botanists to speak of 

 the petal-like nectar-leaves of this family as petals, but this is 

 not in accord with the modern view of their homology. 



Most of the crowfoot family are like marsh-marigolds in 

 having no corolla. . In peonies are found unmistakable petals. 

 These show that they belong to the perianth, not only by 

 having a much wider base than the stamens, but also by the 

 occurrence of transitional forms connecting them with sepals, 

 as illustrated in Fig. 294. The series as there shown connects 

 also sepals, bractlets, and bracts. Anemonies and fennel- 

 flowers, as we have seen, have involucres or involucels which 

 are sometimes so close to the flower as to be easily mistaken 

 for calyx, and which indeed differ from calyces only in being 

 separated from the floral whorls by a more or less developed 

 internode. The case is especially deceptive when the sepals 

 are petaloid, i. e., brightly colored like petals, and the in- 

 volucre is close to the flower. Flowers without a corolla are 

 ^ Stam'-in-ode < L. stamen, staminis, stamen; Gr. eidos, a form. 



