BAiniNCULACEM 



27 



mm peregnnam. 



Fig. 50. 

 Diagram. 



two, each prolonged as a spur into its cavity. But it is easy to see 

 that these two petals arise from the deduplication of a single one, 

 and that its two parts are 

 symmetrical with each 

 other, and represent each 

 the half of a single organ. 

 In other words, the pos- 

 terior petal behaves here 

 like that of most Nigellas ; 

 and the corolla becomes 

 irregular because, on the 

 one hand, the petal is 

 spurred like the corre- 

 sponding sepal ; and on the 

 other hand, the anterior 

 petals are not normally developed. 



The structure of the corolla' is the same in certain other species 

 cultivated in our gardens, such as I), revolutum Desf., cheilanthum 

 FiscH., dictyocarpum ~DQ.,(/randiJIon()ii L., friste Fisch., &c., which have 

 usually only three carpels in the gynaeceum. D. poitafjijnum Lamk. 

 derives its name from its possessing often five carpels with the same 

 corolla. It is only by accident that we find the anterior petals 

 in these plants; cultivation will sometimes determine their ap- 

 pearance, 



D. Consolida L. (figs. 51 and 52) and Jjacis L., have the corolla 

 and gynseceum far more imperfect. The two lateral petals disappear 

 as well as the anterior ones, only the posterior petal remaining, 

 divided above alone into two half petals, but single near its insertion 

 and for the whole length of the spur, while the gyna}ceum is reduced 

 to a single carpel. 



In all these species the androceum remains as in NigeJla; with 



' On the organization of this corolla of the 

 Larkspurs, and especially that of the posterior 

 petal, see Adansonia, iv. 11. 



- Hence it follows that when the flower of a 

 Delpfiinium becomes double, and its stamens are 

 transformed into petals, this flower is altogether 

 thilt of a similarly transformed Niffellu, especially 

 when the spur disappears entirely (which is rare) 

 or nearly so; the flowers are then double and 

 regular in both types, which it is in this case im- 

 possible to distinguish (see Adansonia iv. 149). 

 Instances of monstrosities in Larkspurs and 



Aconites are very numerous. See Broxgniakt, 

 Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 3, ii. 24.— Weddell, Surune 

 Chloranthie de Pied d' Alonette Vivace (Bull. 

 Soc. Bot., iii. 316). — Hochstettee, Fl.Anonn. 

 d'A. tauricum (Bull. Soc. Bot., ii. 120).— Df- 

 ciiahtre, Monst. de D. Ajacis (Bull. Soc. Bot., 

 vii. 483). Clos, Hj/p. des Carp, d'un Delphinium 

 (Bull. Soc. Bot., ix. 127) and others. — A. 

 BuAUN (Verh. d. sect. f. Bot., Vienna, Sept. 

 20, 1856) and J. Rossmann (Bot. Zeit., 1862, 

 n. 24, 188), have also each given their interpreta- 

 tion of the flower of Delphinium. 



