PHANEROGAMIA : FLOWERS. 351 



For my purpose it is merely important to indicate how the different 

 derivative modes of appearance are connected with the fundamental 

 organ, the leaf, and its forms, and originate therefrom, not merely 

 according to the idea, since that is of no use to the unity in nature, but 

 in real metamorphosis, through gradually increased development of this 

 or that region, or this or that portion of the cellular tissue. We must 

 especially look to the most multiform development of the connective, 

 from which arise forms that, when perfect, appear altogether incapable 

 of being referred to the fundamental form of the modified leaf, and yet, 

 when the development is traced, are easily deduced from it. Celsia 

 cretica may serve as an example, in which the stamen is perfectly 

 regular in the very young bud, and consists of a filament which passes 

 above into a narrow connective, bearing two longish anther-cells on its 

 two borders ; the connective gradually expands in its lower part, and 

 particularly on one side ; thus the base of one anther- cell becomes 

 gradually removed from the base of the other, and so far that, since the 

 summits of the chambers always remain in contact (they merge into one 

 here, of which hereafter), in the fully developed stamen the two anther- 

 cells lie in a straight line, and it appears as though only one cell existed 

 on one side of the connective. In a similar manner the strangest forms, 

 as in the Cucurbitacece and Philydracece, are readily referred to the fun- 

 damental form, when we trace back their gradual development. 



It is most remarkable that, with all the other great similarity of the 

 conditions of form of the normal leaf, no true articulation in the con- 

 tinuity of the staminal leaf occurs. Herberts, usually named as an 

 example of this, I have neglected to examine. In the Composites there 

 exists merely a very gradually appearing difference in the cellular tissue 

 at determinate points, which, far from corresponding to an articulation, 

 depends, on the contrary, on a somewhat increased thickening of the 

 cell-walls. In Mahernia and Vinca there is no trace of an articulation. 

 Never, so far as I have yet been able to examine, does there exist an 

 articulation between anther and filament. The latter is, indeed, when 

 it passes into the anther, often very thin, readily bent, and readily torn 

 away ; but there is never a layer of cellular tissue formed differently, 

 breaking the continuity of the structure ; the anther and filament never 

 separate spontaneously here. 



On the other hand, the stipulary structures are very perfectly developed, 

 and exhibit forms which are often enough mistaken. They appear most 

 remarkably in the Amarantacece. Nothing is more easy than to trace 

 out the origin of the pretended corona from the blending of the stipules 

 of the stamens in this family, and the perfect forms exhibit every pos- 

 sible transitional condition. The unscientific inconsequence of descrip- 

 tive terminology is here again most strikingly manifest. So long as 

 the stipules are only partly blended, the terms are : filamento trifido 

 lobo media antherifero ; if they are wholly coherent, the two blended 

 lobes are called stamina sterilia ; if they are diverted to the inner side, 

 so as to escape a superficial examination, as in Celosia, it is even written 

 staminodia nulla. 



155. The condition of structure plays a very important part in 

 the nature of the stamens. The filament, when present, and its 

 appendages, have almost always the structure of petals, consisting 

 of very delicate cellular tissue, filled sometimes with coloured, but 

 more frequently with colourless sap, and having large intercellular 



