212 Takeda— Old World Species of the Species Mahonia. 



features in each species. In the accompanying plates the writer 

 has endeavoured to show, for a few species, dissected floral organs 

 from more than one specimen. It will be seen from those figures 

 that the variation is only slight, and not so great as is often 

 supposed. In the following descriptions, therefore, measure- 

 ments of these organs are given as far as possible. It must be 

 borne in mind that when dissecting for this purpose, a fully 

 developed flower has to be chosen. Figs. 141-157 have been 

 taken from three specimens of the same species in different stages 

 of development. 



The stamens are very characteristic in each species. The 

 filament generally exceeds the anther or in certain species is 

 nearly equal in length. It is generally more or less thickened 

 just below the anther, and in some cases it is furnished with a 

 tooth-like projection on each side. This feature is very stable 

 throughout the genus. Only in one case has the writer come 

 across a specimen of a usually edentate species possessing more 

 or less rudimentary teeth (fig. 42) . Whether this specimen ought 

 to be regarded as a dentate variety has not been decided from 

 lack of sufficient material. The connective is an extension of 

 the filament. As has been pointed out by Gagnepain, this organ 

 affords a good diagnostic character.* In the majority of species 

 it is as broad as or slightly bro'ader than the filament, but in a 

 few cases it is much narrower. In many species it is more or less 

 triangular and often apiculate, in others almost truncate. It 

 should always be remembered that a mature stamen has to be 

 examined. An undeveloped stamen possesses generally an 

 almost truncate connective which may later become decidedly 

 triangular. The figures above referred to clearly illustrate this 

 fact. A herbarium specimen shows only a certain stage in the 

 life-cycle of a plant, and no more. Herbarium botanists have 

 to bear carefully this fact in mind. It has not seldom happened 

 that different stages of one and the same species have been 

 described as distinct species. 



The ovaries are either furnished with or are almost devoid of 

 a distinct style. Sometimes it is not at all easy to decide whether 

 a very short style is present or whether the style is totally absent. 

 The number of ovules contained in the ovary is not very constant. 

 This character is not of much use in distinguishing closely allied 



The fruit is a berry, generally bluish-black in colour 

 and more or less covered with waxy powder. The berries are 

 ovoid in the majority of species, but in some cases they are 

 globose. 



