692 Extracts from the Minute-Book of the Linnean Society. 



the two flowers are completely united into one, with a double num- 

 ber of parts in each of the circles. But the most remarkable instance 

 of this kind of union with which he has met occurs in a specimen of 

 Scrophularia nodosa, found at Water Fulford, near York, in which 

 four flowers are united into one. In this case several monstrous 

 flowers occur on the same branch, but are generally unions of only 

 two flowers, and the terminal flowers are invariably of the ordinary 

 structure. This Mr. Hincks regards as what might be expected in 

 a plant with centrifugal inflorescence, where the monstrosity con- 

 sists of a union of flowers ; whereas in the same kind of inflorescence, 

 when the monstrosity consists in a more full and equal development, 

 the central flower might be expected to be the first affected ; and 

 this actually occurs in a specimen which he possesses of a species of 

 Linaria with all the terminal flowers (and those alone) peloriated. 



In the stalk of the flower of Scrophularia nodosa referred to, Mr. 

 Hincks thinks he can recognize the junction of 4 peduncles ; the 

 number of sepals is 15, one of them being narrow and somewhat 

 displaced; that of the petals, which all cohere together, 16. Of 

 these, 7 are the lower or more developed petals, which are upright in 

 the limb and are united in pairs. These are altogether in one line at 

 the back of the flower, and the position of a stamen shows the sup- 

 pression of one part where the additional sepal has been preserved. 

 Of the upper or reflexed petals only 9 remain ; and as there are 3 of 

 these in each ordinary flower, if one be supposed to have perished at 

 each juncture, according to the analogy of the Irides and CEnotheroe, 

 the whole number will be accounted for. The number of stamens is 

 20, or 6 to each flower ; one of these has its anther abortive and 

 changed into a scale, and there are several instances of two being 

 united together, but all may be distinctly traced. There are three 

 distinct ovaria, two of which belong each to one flower, having 

 the usual bilocular structure ; the third Mr. Hincks regards as ma- 

 nifestly belonging to two flowers, but made up of 8 cells instead of 4. 

 He found several 3-locular ovaria on the same plant ; but in this in- 

 stance he believes there are 4 cells developed for each flower, their 



