CARYOPHYLLEAE 



155 



others. Schulz states that the large-flowered variety grandiflora Tatisch, which occurs 

 in the Riesengebirge, also possesses much smaller female flowers. 



Warnstorf (Ver. bot. Ver., Berlin, xxxviii, 1896) was able to distinguish the 

 following varieties at Ruppin. 



1. Large-flowered variety. Diameter of corolla about 6 cm.; all the filaments 

 developed, but a larger or smaller number of the anthers brown and vestigial. 



2. Medium-flowered variety. Diameter of corolla about 4 cm.; all the stamens 

 fully developed, so that the flowers are all hermaphrodite. A few medium-sized 

 hermaphrodite flowers are often found on the first variety. 



Both these varieties are markedly protandrous. The stamens develop gradually, 

 ultimately projecting far out of the calyx-tube, which is about 23-25 mm. long. 

 The whitish anthers are introrse ; after dehiscence they bend back through an angle 

 of 90 , so that the anther-lobes which spread out so as to be almost flat lie at 

 right angles to the filaments. The pollen-grains are white, dodecahedral, tuber- 

 culated, and with an average diameter of 50 fi. 



Fig. 47. Dianthus superbus, L. (after Herm. Miiller). A. Hermaphrodite flower in the first (male) 

 condition, seen directly from above (natural size). B. Stamens and pistil in the same condition, seen 



from the side. C. A similar flower in the second (female) condition (X 2). D. Sexual organs of a 



purely female flower. Eight of the stamens possess minute vestigial anthers, and are only as long as the 

 ovary. The other two stamens are devoid of anthers, and twice as long. 



3. Small-flowered variety. Diameter of corolla only about 3 cm. ; all the 

 stamens reduced to small vestiges at the base of the calyx-tube, so that the flowers 

 are female. These female plants are rare at Ruppin. 



The dissected blade of the petals of all the varieties is either from light to dark 

 violet in colour, or else pure white. In the former case, the patch at the base of the 

 blade is dirty-green, and beset with long purple hairs, while the rest of the blade 

 is covered with very short violet hairs: in the latter case the basal patch is of 

 a beautiful bright green, and covered with colourless hyalineh airs, as also is the 

 rest of the blade. It is also remarkable that these white-flowered plants are dis- 

 tinguishable, even at a distance, from dark-flowered specimens growing near them, 

 by the pale-green colour of stem, branches, leaves, and calyx (Warnstorf). 



383. D. Armeria L. (Kirchner, Flora v. Stuttgart,' p. 245 ; Schulz, ' Beitrage,' 

 III, p. 21.) Kirchner says that though the flowers essentially agree with those of 

 D. deltoides, yet in accordance with their inconspicuousness automatic self-pollina- 



