458 ABORTION 
partially developed only, and forming a kind of cup, 
from which the true carpels protrude. 
Abortion of the leaves—Arrest of growth in the leaves 
occurs in different ways; sometimes the whole leaf is 
smaller than usual; at other times certain parts only 
are reduced in size; while, in a third class of cases, 
portions of the leaf are entirely suppressed. 
Moquin' mentions haying seen the leaves of Cheno- 
podium vulvaria, and of Diplotazi is muralis reduced to 
a fourth of hee natural size; and he alludes to other 
cases of the same nature, seen by other observers, in 
Hypericum perforatum and Blitum polymorphum. 
Nicandra physaloides’ has also been met with in a 
similar condition, which, indeed, is a common result of 
insect-puncture, and of fungous growth in plants. 
Those instances in which the leaf is diminished in size, 
without any attendant malformation in other organs, 
may be regarded rather as variations than as monstro- 
sities, as in the case of the entire-leaved varieties of 
those plants which ordinarily have cut or divided 
leaves, e.g. Plantago Coronopus, var. integrifolia, Papaver 
Rheas integrifolia, &c. &e. The same remark may be 
made of those specimens in which one part of the leaf 
is developed to a less extent than another, as happens 
in the submerged leaves of such plants as Ranunculus 
aquatilis, Cabomba aquatica, the spiney leaves of Berbe- 
ris, the fenestrated leaves of Ouvirandra, &c. In the 
illustrations last cited the relative deficiency of one 
portion, as contrasted with another, takes place as a 
constant occurrence, and is uniform and regular 
throughout the whole leaf. When, on the other hand, 
the deficiency in question happens accidentally and 
irregularly, the change may be considered as a malfor- 
mation. One side of the blade of the leaf is frequently 
affected in this manner, the other portions remaining 
unaffected. It would appear as if any plant might be 
1 «Hil. Ter. Veg.,’ p. 124. 
2 Schlechtendal, ‘ Bot. Zeit.,’ 1857, vol. xv, p. 67. 
