340 



NATURAL HISTOIiY OF PLANTS. 



cated petals,' and as many stamens superposed to the sepals. But 

 often, too, we mav find a larG:er number of stamens, i.e., from five 



Agrimonia Eupatoria. 



Fig. 382. 

 Longitudinal section of flower. 



Fig. 383. 



Fruit. 



Fig. 380. 

 Inflorescence. 



Fig. 379. 

 Habit. 



Fig. 384. 



Longitudinal section of fruit. 



to fifteen.- If there be the last named number, each of the stamens 

 superposed to the sepals is accompanied by two others, one on either 



' Their form is tliat of the petals of a Rose 

 on a small scale. 



' Payee (op. cit. 505) has seen that in A. 

 Eupatoria the number of stamens varies with 

 the vigour of the plant. " (Jenerally," says he, 

 "we hardly find more than five in flowers gathered 

 in the conntrj-, and then they are .... super- 

 posed to the sepals, while in others picked at the 

 Museum of Natural History [of Paris] I have 



sometimes counted as many as twenty. But in 

 all these variations one fact remains constant, 

 and this it is important to note: the stamens 

 are always grouped in five alternipetalous pha- 

 langes." Further on the author shows that 

 when there are numerous stamens there are 

 first five in front of the sepals, then a whorl of 

 ten more placed lower down, and then another 

 whorl of five superposed to the first. 



