ON CERTAIN EPIGYNOUS MONOCOTYLEDONS. 



sider the matter on all sides, the view which assumes the exist- 

 ence of an outer circle of organs, gives the flower of the Orchideae 

 a greater analogy with the Scitamineae in reference to the relative 

 position of the anther. Those also who regard the anther of 

 the Cannaceae as standing in front of a lateral inner petal, must 

 make an exception to the rule that one of the three sepals falls 

 next the bract standing nearest to the flower. But as it is a more 

 logical proceeding to regard the side of the flower where the 

 anther occurs as the real axial side, that rule may be assumed 

 as valid here, whether that bract is present or not. 



In addition to the ample number of characters which distin- 

 guish the Orchideae from the Scitamineae, the position of the 

 anther, as above indicated and universally recognized, exhibits 

 an important difference. While in the latter it stands at the 

 axial side of the flower and embraces the style, or in certain 

 Cannaceae is only blended with the latter through the medium 

 of the tube of the perianth, in the Orchideae it stands to a 

 certain extent upon the style and on the bracteal side. In the 

 Musaceae both variations of the arrangement occur simulta- 

 neously. In Heliconia, as above mentioned, the five stamens 

 stand on the axial side of the branch upon which the flowers 

 occur ; in Musa, on the side next the bract ; in Heliconia, more- 

 over, the abortive stamen stands in front of the middle outer 

 segment of the perianth. With this is combined a remarkable 

 variation of the inflorescence, which I have already indicated 

 above. The flowers of Musa standing sometimes in one, some- 

 times in two transverse rows, are all of one period of development, 

 while in Heliconia they are developed in succession, in the order 

 in which they approach toward the bract. 



The ordinary view is, that the six stamens of Monocotyle- 

 dons belong to two successive circles. Although this is very 

 clear in theory, no proof for the assertion can be found in the 

 course of development of the flowers here under examination. 

 In most cases I have distinctly seen the two outer circles of 

 organs arise in succession, but in Musa and Heliconia I have 



next the axis being changeable, is applicable to the vegetable kingdom in ge- 

 neral, I must leave to be discussed by others. In the place where I live, I 

 must necessarily always be some years behindhand in literature, and thus it 

 seems to me that this question has not met with all the attention it deserves. 



