Book I. ANOMALIES OF VEGETABLE DEVELOPEMENT. 247 



founded upon the following facts. An insect of the Sphex or Ichneumon kind, had been observed by one 

 of the gardeners of the botanic garden at Liverpool, to drag several large flies to a leaf of sarracenia 

 adunca, and to force them into the tubular part of it. On examination the leaf was found to be about half 

 filled with water, in which the flies were now struggling ; the other leaves were also examined, and were 

 found crammed with dead or drowning flies. The leaves of sarracenia purpurea are said to exhibit also 

 the same phenomena, and seem peculiarly well adapted to entrap and confine flies, by having the margin 

 beset with inverted hairs, rendering the escape of such insects as may have accidentally fallen into the 

 watery tube, or are intentionally forced into it, impracticable ; so that the putrid exhalation from the dead 

 insects contained in the leaf often oflTends the nostrils, even in passing near the plant Hence Sir J. E. 

 Smith infers, that the growth of the plant is perhaps benefited by means of the air evolved by the dead 

 flies, which the water has been intended to tempt, and the leaves to entrap and retain. This ingenious 

 conjecture is, no doubt, sufficiently plausible as far as the plant may be affected ; but cannot be regarded as 

 quite satisfactory till such time as it shall have been shown that the health of the plant is injured when 

 insects are prevented from approaching it. 



1579. The nepenthes distillatoria exhibits also an anomaly similar to that of sarracenia, holding 

 an ounce or two of a fluid which appears to be secreted from the leaf, and to be intended as a 

 lure to insects, which gain admission either by the spontaneous opening of the lid, or by forcibly raising it 

 themselves. The consequence is that they fall into the fluid and are drowned, no insect being capable 

 of living in it except a certain small quilla or shrimp, with a protuberant back, which, according to Hum-- 

 phius, sometimes crawls inte it and can live there. To this phenomenon Sir J. E. Smith applies the same 

 explication as above, which is of course liable to the same objection. 



1580. The figure of the leaf, however singular, is generally the same throughout the same individual, ex- 

 cept in the case of accidental deformity, and yet there are exceptions even to this rule. For sometimes 

 the lower leaves of a plant are entire while the upper leave.s are divided, as occurs in a variety of mountain- 

 ous plants, such as burnet, saxifrage, anise, coriander ; arid sometimes the lower leaves are divided while 

 the upper leaves are entire, as in the case of a variety of aquatics, particularly ranunculus aquaticus, in 

 which the lower leaves are capillary and immersed, and the upper leaves flat and circular, floating on the 

 surface of the water. But sometimes the dissimilitude of the leaves is still more remarkable. The Chi- 

 nese mulberry, a Botany Bay tree, has not two leaves alike in form on the whole plant. And lastly, there 

 are some plants, as in the case of the fungi, that are wholly destitute of leaves, and hence called 

 aphyllous ; while there are others, as in the case of the fuci, that seem to be wholly leaf. 



1581. The principal anomaly of the Jlower, is that by which one of its parts is unduly 

 augmented, to the exclusion or diminution of some of the rest. The flower is then said 

 to be luxuriant, and comprises the three following varieties, the multiplicate, the full, 

 and the proliferous flower. 



1582. The multiplicate flower, is sometimes, though rarely, occasioned by an unusual multiplication of the 

 divisions of the calyx, as in dianthus caryophyllus, and some of the Alpine grasses. But the anomaly 

 most generally consists in the undue multiplication of the divisions of the corolla, by the conversion of part 

 of the stamens into petals which is occasionally to be met with both in monoiietalous and polypetalous 

 flowers. It occurs but seldom, however, in flowers growing in their natural state and habit, though now 

 and then a double flower is met with even in such circumstances. 



1583. The full flower is generally described to be that in which the divisions of the corolla are so multi- 

 plied as to exclude the stamens and pistils wholly by means of their conversion into petals ; which conver- 

 sion is most readily effected in polypetalous flowers, such as the tulip, poppy, pink, and ranunculus ; mo- 

 nopetalous flowers seldom being found full This complete metamorphose is always either the effect of 

 cultivation, or of some concurrence of natural circumstances analogous to it ; and is indeed one of the 

 principal objects of the art of the florist ; the beauty of the flower, according to general estimation, being 

 thus much augmented. In the full flower the stamens are almost always converted into petals, whence we 

 should perhaps infer their identity of origin. But the pistil is often converted into a leaf, as may be seen 

 by inspecting the flower of the double-blossomed cherry, which generally protrudes from the centre a leaf 

 in miniature. But a flower may become full also by the multiplication of the parts of the nectary, as is 

 sometimes the case in the genus Aquilegia, which produces full 

 flowers in three different ways by the multiplication of the'petals 

 to the exclusion of the nectaries, by the multiplication of the 

 nectaries to the exclusion of the petals, and by the multiplication 

 of the nectaries while the proper petals remain. There are also 

 some peculiarities in the manner in which compound flowers 

 become full. Radiated flowers become full sometimes by the 

 multiplication of the floscules of the ray to the exclusion of 

 the floscules of the disk, as in helianthus, anthemis, and cen- 

 taurea ; and sometimes by the multiplication of the floscules of 

 the disk to the exclusion of those of the ray, as in matricaria and 

 bellis. 



1584. The proliferous flower {fig. 235.) is that out of which 

 another flower or another shoot is produced. It is seldom 

 found but in flowers already full ; from the centre of which, 

 that is, from the ovary or pistil, it sometimes happens that a 

 new flower and foot-stalk is produced, if the flower is simple, as 

 in the ranunculus, anemone, and pink ; or several flowers and 

 foot-stalks, issuing from the common calyx, if the flower is com- 

 pound, as in the daisy, hawkweed, and marigold ; or a new 

 umbel issuing from the centre of the original umbel, if the 

 flower is umbellate, as in cornus. Sometimes the proliferous issue of the full flower is not itself a flower, 

 but a shoot furnished with leaves, as has been sometimes, though rarely, observed in the case of the 

 anemone and rose. Such are the several varieties of luxuriant flowers, constituting anomalies of excess : 

 but it sometimes happens that there is also in the flower an anomaly of defect in the absence of one of its 

 parts. Examples of this sort are occasionally to be met with in the flowers of cherianthus cheri, cam- 

 panula pentagonea, and tussilago anandria, in which the corolla is altogether wanting, though proper to 

 the species ; and in this case the flower is .said to be mutilated. Sometimes the anomaly consists in the 

 situation of the flower, which is generally protruded from the extremity or sides of the branches. But 

 the flower of the ruscus is protruded from the surface of the leaf; or it may consist in the relative situ- 

 ation of the several parts of the flower. In simple flowers the pistil is invariably central with regard to the 

 stamens ; but in compound flowers the pistils are often situated in the circumference and the stamens in 

 the centre. This seems to be the case also with some monoecious plants having their flowers on the same 

 IxKiuncle, as in the examples of the carex and arum, in which the stamens are more central than the pistils. 

 Sometimes the anomaly consists in the color of the corolla, which will often deviate even in the same 

 species. The general color of the common cowslip {Primula veris) is a bright yellow ; but an individual 

 is occasionally to be met with, though very rarely, in which the limb or exjmnsion of the corolla is purple 

 with a line of yellow around the border. Sometimes the anomaly consists in the time of flowering. The 

 season proi)er for the flowering of the ai)ple and pear tree is the month of May ; but trees of that sort have 



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