1902.] 



I. H. Burkill — Flower of Ranunculus arvensis. 



117 



Now it comes about from this tendency of stamens to gain below 

 20 in percentage at the expense of the petals, and from the tendency of 

 the carpels above 20 to show satiety, that the excess of stamens over 

 carpels is likely to be least at 20 and greater both above and below 

 that number. Thus is the sex-proportion continually shifting along 

 our curves. 



lialf staminodal petals were found in flowers of the Kew race as 

 follows ; it will be noticed that towards the end of the flowering period 

 they appeared but one at a time in the flowers. 



Table XXVIII — Half Staminodal petals. 





Period 1 



2 



3 



4 



C Number ... 



Kew, Old ... < In flowers ... 

 ( Percentage ... 



7 



3 



•47 



30 

 23 



•76 



20 

 18 

 •79 



19 

 19 

 •75 



C Number 

 Kew, New ... \ In flowers ... ... 



(. Percentage ... 



9 



5 



•72 



16 

 •63 

 •63 



11 



11 



•61 



14 



14 



•85 



Lastly I have an abnormality to notice ; it consists of a lobing of 

 the petals, one lobe being larger than the other. I found this abnor- 

 mality in the Kew race to be fairly frequent and further I found it 

 to be most abundant when the number of staminodes was highest. 



Table XXIX. — Lobed petals. 





Period 1 



SS 



3 



4 



( Number 

 Kew, Old ... < In flowers ... 

 (. Percentage ... 



10 



2 



•605 



30 



17 



•756 



21 

 16 



•839 



19 



9 



•753 



f Number 



Kew, New .... < In flowers ... 



(. Percentage ... 



5 

 3 



•399 



17 

 16 



•674 



13 



12 

 •721 



7 



6 



•427 



