234: IRREGULAR PELORIA. 
linwm the lower flowers, or those on the secondary 
branches, are quite as often affected as the primary ones. 
Cassini considered that the spur of Linaria was developed 
from the lower petal rather than from the upper ones, 
because there is more room on the side of the flower 
farthest from the stem than on the opposite side. 
With reference to this pomt, M. Godron remarks that 
in habitually irregular flowers the apex of the peduncle 
is oblique, and hence the flowers are bent down- 
wards or spread horizontally, but if the receptacle be 
quite flat and level then the flower is regular. The 
oblique position causes some of the organs to press on 
others, and hence induces abortion and suppression of 
some parts and increased growth in others that are 
not subjected to pressure. In a terminal peloriated 
flower of aconite, described by this naturalist, the flower 
was removed so far from the nearest bracts that all 
its parts had the chance of growing regularly. In 
ordinary cases M. Godron considers that the com- 
pression of the lateral bracts is the cause of the irregu- 
larity of the andrcecium and of the receptacle.’ 
It has also been somewhat too generally stated that 
peloria occurs principally on luxuriant vigorous plants. 
It seems quite as often to happen in plants charac- 
terised by their deficiencies in this respect. On this 
point M. de Melicoq’ says, referring to Linaria vul- 
garis affected with peloria, that on the weakest plants 
the peloriated flower was at the top of the stem; 
while in stronger plants, with more numerous flowers 
and larger foliage, the peloriated flowers were princi- 
pally to be found in the centre and at the base of the 
inflorescence, and their pedicels were much longer 
than usual. 
Linné, as has been already stated, considered these 
flowers to be sterile, and only capable of multiplica- 
tion by division of the root, but Willdenow obtained 
1 Godron, “ Mém. sur les Fumarieés 4 fl. irreg.,” ‘Ann. Se. Nat.,’ sér. 
5, vol. ii, tab. xvii, p. 280. 
2 «Bull. Soc. Bot. France,’ vol. v, 1858, p. 701. 
