Floral Abnormalities. 35 



Fig. 2. 

 Transverse Section of Petal Bearing Unilocular Anther. 

 1. Lamina, 

 t. Thick walled tannin-containing cells. 



anther is unilocular, and its fibrous layer is clearly seen. The 

 • cells in the region between the vascular bundle of the lamina 

 and the anther have their walls considerably thickened. In fact, 

 just before dehiscence the great majority of the cells of the petal 

 have the annular and reticulate thickenings so characteristic of 

 the mechanical tissues of anthers. Above and on either side of 

 the vascular strands are large thick-walled cells, which contain 

 .tannin, and the cells of the upper epidermis also have thick walls. 



Tn the drawings of both sections the cell contents, such as 

 Tannin and Hesperidin, so freely present, have been omitted. 



Dehiscence in the simple forms of anther takes place by means 

 •of a split, which develops at the distal end of the anther in such 

 a way that a space is formed between the wall of the anther and 

 the under epidermis of the petal. In this way the pollen, which 

 is abundantly developed, and apparently quite normal, may be 

 seen escaping. In the more complex forms of anther a longi- 

 tudinal dehiscence takes place. 



Discussion. 



The only reference to any teratological abnormality in the 

 genus Eriostemon, given by Penzig, in his " Pflanzen Teratologic," 

 is one to a record by Dr. Masters 1 , of the occurrence of double 

 flowers in E. obovalis. He writes as follows : " Both specimens 

 are remarkable as illustrating the occurrence of double flowers 

 in Australia. , . . The supposed infrequency in such plants 

 is due probably to imperfect observation rather than to absolute 

 deficiency." This variation in the number of parts is indeed quite 



1 Gard. Chron., 1877, pt. 2, p. 726. 

 4a 



