PROLIFICGATION OF THE FLOWER. 143 
with the petals, which, together with the stamens and 
pistil, remained unaffected. he number of parts in 
the supernumerary structures is generally less than 
the normal flowers. 
In Mr. Herbert Spencer’s ‘ Principles of Biology,’ 
part iv, p. 37, are figured and described some mon- 
strous inflorescences in Angelica and other Umbellifere, 
from which, amongst other things, the author draws 
the conclusion that there is no absolute distinction 
between leaf and branch. Without staying for the 
moment to discuss this matter, it may here be said 
that the Umbellifers in question apparently owe their 
peculiarities rather to axillary prolification within the 
flower, or to prolification of the inflorescence, than to 
an actual transformation of a flower or any portion of 
a flower into an umbellule.* 
In the ‘Gardeners’ Chronicle,’ 1855, p. 551, an 
instance is figured of the production of a supernume- 
rary flower proceeding from the axil of a stamen in a 
species of Nymphea (fig. 65). The ovary in this case 
was wanting, but in its place was a tuft of small leaves. 
It is curious that among Dr. Kirk’s drawings of east 
tropical African plants now at Kew, there should be 
one representing a precisely similar state of things. 
‘The species in both instances was Nymphaea Lotus, or 
a cultivated variety of it. 
M. Wesmael’ describes a very singular case of what 
appears to have been referable to axillary prolification 
in the flowers of Carex acuta. The rachillus is de- 
scribed as prolonged through the utricle by the side of 
the stigmas, bearing on its rside a bract, then a secon- 
dary utricle, from the axil of which Spi short stem 
surmounted by an ovary. Wigand, ‘Flora,’ 1856, 
mentions a similar change in Carex glauca. In this 
instance the base of the female inflorescence bore 
lateral spikes, which projected from the utricles ; some 
of these adventitious spikes were female, others 
1 See also ‘ Nat. Hist. Review,’ 1865, p. 377. 
? «Acad Roy. Belg.,’ April 11th, 1865. 
