440 APOSTASIS. 
pistil, either im association with a leafy condition of 
the pappus or without any such change. 
Elongation of the thalamus, placenta, &e—In some plants, 
as in Magnolia or Myosurus, the thalamus becomes 
much elongated, and bears the carpels disposed spirally 
around it. A similar lengthening occurs in malformed 
flowers, usually in association with a similar change in 
the lower or outer part of the flower, by virtue of 
which the whorls become separated from each other 
(Apostasis). Elongation and protrusion of the placenta 
have been already alluded to at p. 119, and also at 
p- 125. In some of these cases the elongated placenta 
has taken the form of a leaf-bearmeg shoot.’ 
Apostasis—Hngelmann made use of this term to ex- 
press the separ ation of parts one from another. by the 
unusual elongation of the internodes.” He drew a 
distinction between the separation of individual organs 
one from the other, and the corresponding displace- 
ment of whorls. The subject has already been, to a 
considerable degree, treated of in these pages under 
the head of dialysis, displacement, and prolification, 
and but little need here be added. With reference to 
the distance between one whorl and another, it will be 
remembered that, although in the majority of cases the 
floral whorls are packed closely together, yet in other 
instances the floral axis becomes elongated, and thus 
separates the whorls one from another, by structures 
such as the gynophores, androphores, ‘&e. ., of Passi- 
floree, Caryophyllee, Capparidee, &c. &e. 
A similar elongation of the thalamus, bringing about 
the separation of the floral whorls, or of their con- 
stituent parts, 1s very commonly met with in association 
with median prolification. Where the individual floral 
elements are thus thrown out of their usual verticillate 
arrangement, they naturally assume a spiral disposition, 
1 For further details refer to the chapter on Displacements, p. 86. 
2 «De Antholysi,’ p. 42, § 49. 
