28 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



the stamens in curved rows, ei^^lit in number (fig. 52), each stamen 

 with its filament dilated below, and its anther two-celled, introrse, 



Delphinium Comolida. 

 Fig. 51. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



with the cells spreading out into flat plates after dehiscence. In 



all the inflorescence consists 

 of terminal racemes, each 

 flower being solitary in the 

 axil of a bract, and bearing 

 two sterile bracts at a va- 

 riable height on its pedicel. 

 These species, characterized 

 by their single carpel, con- 

 stitute the genus Phlvdinium 

 {Consolidd)} 



Delphinium Staphisagria. 



Fig. 53. Fig. 54. 



Flower with four Flower with eight 



petals. petals. 



' Flowers sometimes occur with two or three 

 carpels; Imt a higher number is tolerably rare, 

 oven in cultivatiil plants. However, Kiuscii- 

 LKcKn (Aolir. Buliin., (i) has seen flowers of D. 

 Ajacis with from five to eight carpels. In mn 

 parterres, when the curpi'ls are thus iiunierous, 

 some of them may be sterile. In double (lowers 

 we further observe tliat the jMisterior petals (the 

 two halves of u single organ) are either entirely 

 Bejuirate or else united for marly tlie whole 



length of the limb. This is then Hat, and tra- 

 versed by two large greenish ribs, whieh sejia- 

 rate decidedly towards the tij), the petal l)e- 

 coniing bideutate or bilobate. The sj)urs become 

 snniUer like that of the sepal which encloses 

 them, but they are separate, each forming a dis- 

 tinct tube. As in />. CunsvUda, the spur very 

 rarely disappears entirely iu both calyx and 

 corolla. The flower is then also the same as 

 that (if a double M./,lhi. 



