1(J0 ORGANOGRAPHY. BOOK I. 



upon a contraction of the lower half of a petal into the fila- 

 ment, and by a development of yellow matter within the sub- 

 stance of the upper end of the same petal on each side into 

 pollen. A similar kind of passage from petals to stamens 

 may be found in Calycanthus, Illicium, and many other 

 plants. Now, as no one can doubt that a petal is a modified 

 leaf, it will necessarily follow, from what has been stated, that 

 a stamen is one also. But it is not from parts in their nor- 

 mal state that the best ideas of the real nature of the stamen 

 may be formed ; it is rather by parts in a monstrous state, 

 when reverting to the form of that organ from which they 

 were transformed, that we can most correctly judge of the 

 exact nature of the modification. Take for example that well- 

 known double Rose, called by the French R. CEillet. In 

 that very remarkable variety, the claw of the petals may 

 at all times be found in every degree of gradation from its 

 common state to that of a filament, and the limb sometimes 

 almost of its usual degree of development, — sometimes con- 

 tracting into a lobe of the anther on one side, or perhaps on 

 both sides, — now having the part that assumes the character of 

 the anther merely yellow, — now polliniferous, — and finally 

 acquiring, in many instances, all the characters of an un- 

 doubted though somew^iat distorted stamen. Double Paeo- 

 nies, Double Tulips, and many other monstrous flowers, 

 particularly of an icosandrous or polyandrous structure, 

 afford equally instructive specimens. It is for these reasons 

 that it is stated in the Outlines of the first Principles of Bo- 

 tany, 307., that " the anther is a modification of the lamina, 

 and the filament of the petiole." * 



Such is the structure of the stamens in their perfect state. 

 It often, however, happens that, owing to causes with wliich 

 we are unacquainted, some of the stamens are developed 

 imperfectly, widiout the anther and pollen. In such cases 



* Af^ardh considers a stamen to be composed of two leaves in a state of 

 adhesion; and that it is in tact a bud axillary to a sepal or petal. This 

 is very nearly the opinion formerly entertained by Wolff. Endlicher 

 adopts this view to a certain extent; and supposes the leaves to be 

 rolled backwards, so that their under sm-foce becomes the polliniferous 

 part. But all this is mere hypothesis, unsupported by a tittle of evidence, 

 and in opposition to the direct observations of Mirbel. 



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