﻿Vol, 
  XV. 
  No, 
  5.— 
  Botanical 
  Gazette— 
  May, 
  i89u. 
  

  

  Notes 
  upon 
  stamens 
  of 
  Solanacese.* 
  

  

  BYRON 
  D< 
  HALSTED. 
  

  

  (with 
  plate 
  XI.) 
  

  

  The 
  stamens 
  of 
  the 
  order 
  Solanacece, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  examined 
  by 
  the 
  writer, 
  may 
  be 
  divided 
  into 
  those 
  that 
  

   dehisce 
  by 
  a 
  pore 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  those 
  with 
  a 
  valvular 
  dehiscence, 
  

   and 
  a 
  modification 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  where 
  the 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  anther 
  

   breaks 
  away 
  irregularly, 
  that 
  is, 
  peels 
  off 
  gradually 
  midway 
  

   between 
  the 
  dorsal 
  and 
  ventral 
  sutures 
  of 
  the 
  staminal 
  leaf. 
  

   Some 
  of 
  the 
  Solanums, 
  as 
  S^ 
  tuberosum, 
  S. 
  rostratum, 
  S_. 
  Car- 
  i 
  

   olinense 
  and 
  ST 
  Dulcamara 
  are 
  examples 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  or 
  ter- 
  

   minal 
  pore 
  t\^e 
  ; 
  Lrycium 
  vulgare, 
  garden 
  Petunias 
  and 
  

   Daturas 
  represent 
  extreme 
  forms 
  of 
  valvular 
  dehiscence 
  ; 
  

   while 
  the 
  tomato 
  has 
  a 
  dehiscence 
  midway 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  

   types 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  genus 
  Physalis 
  illustrates 
  the 
  form 
  in 
  which 
  

   the 
  wall 
  of 
  the 
  anther-cavitTes 
  peels 
  off. 
  

  

  The 
  stamens 
  that 
  open 
  by 
  pores 
  hav^ 
  short 
  filaments 
  and 
  

   long 
  lance-shaped 
  and 
  very 
  plump 
  anthers, 
  which 
  fit 
  closely 
  

   around 
  the 
  style. 
  The 
  flowers 
  are 
  either 
  pendent 
  or 
  hang 
  

   laterally, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  difficult 
  for 
  the 
  pollen 
  to 
  make 
  its 
  

   escape 
  through 
  the 
  hole 
  at 
  the 
  top. 
  

  

  In 
  Physafis 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  type. 
  The 
  Diituras 
  have 
  

   stamens 
  wit^ 
  ver3Mong 
  filaments, 
  and 
  the 
  anthers 
  are 
  innate, 
  

   plump, 
  and 
  when 
  dehisced 
  assume 
  the 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  spatula; 
  

   while 
  in 
  Petunias 
  it 
  becomes 
  apparently 
  versatile 
  and 
  resem- 
  

   bles 
  a 
  saddle^'w^ien 
  placed 
  upright 
  upon 
  the 
  rounded 
  top 
  of 
  a 
  

   hitching 
  post. 
  In 
  color 
  some 
  are 
  yellow, 
  others 
  white, 
  and 
  

   a 
  few 
  are 
  purple, 
  either 
  in 
  filament 
  or 
  anther, 
  or 
  both 
  ; 
  some- 
  

   times 
  striped. 
  In 
  short, 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  variability, 
  and 
  at 
  

   first 
  there 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  no 
  constant 
  structural 
  feature. 
  After 
  

   a 
  little 
  w^ork, 
  how 
  ever, 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  upon 
  Solanaceous 
  an- 
  

   thers, 
  it 
  w^ill 
  gradually 
  appear 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  something 
  dis- 
  

   tmguishing 
  them 
  from 
  all 
  others, 
  and 
  therefore 
  characteristic. 
  

   This 
  resides 
  in 
  the 
  peculiar 
  fleshy 
  central 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  an- 
  

  

  ther 
  that 
  mav 
  be 
  called 
  the 
  ^'columella." 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  long 
  upright 
  anthers 
  wuth 
  pores, 
  for 
  exc 
  

   shape 
  in 
  cross 
  section 
  is 
  like 
  a 
  butterflv 
  with 
  spre 
  

  

  :ample, 
  the 
  

  

  spread 
  wings. 
  

  

  . 
  ^Read 
  before 
  the 
  Biological 
  Section 
  of 
  American 
  Association 
  for 
  the 
  Advancement 
  of 
  

   ^science. 
  atTnrmitn 
  is<a 
  

  

  at 
  Toronto, 
  18S9. 
  

  

  I 
  

  

  