512 



men, will give an idea of this Angelica. At a is shown a single 

 flower partially changed ; in the nmbellule marked h, one of the 

 rays bears a secondary umbellule ; and there may be seen at c and 

 d, several such over-develojnnenta. 



Bat the most conclusive instance is that of a Cow-Parsnep, in which 

 a single terminal umbel, besides the transformations already men- 

 tioued, exiiibits higher degrees of such transformations.* The com- 

 ponpnts of this complex growth are ; — three central umbellules, ab- 

 normal only in minor points ; one umbellule,^xternal to these, wliich 

 is partially changed into an umbel ; one rather more out of the 

 centre, which is so far metamorphosed as to be more an umbel than 

 an umbellule : nine peripheral clusters formed by the development 

 of umbellules into umbels, some of which are pai'tially compounded 

 still further. Examined in detail, these structures present the fol- 

 lowing facts : — 1. The innermost umbellule is normal, save in having 

 a peripheral flower of which one member (apparently a petal) is 

 transformed into a flower-bud. 2. The next umbellule, not quite so 

 central, has one of its peripheral flowers made monstrous by the 

 growth of a bud from the base of the calyx. 3. The third of 

 the central umbellules has two abnormal outer flowers. One of 

 them carries a flower-bud on its edge, in place of a foliar member. 

 The other is half flower and half umbellule : being composed 

 of three petals, three stamens, and five flower-buds growing 

 where the other petals and stamens should grow. 4. Outside 

 of these umbellules comes one of the mixed clusters. Its five 

 central flowers are normal. Surrounding these are several 

 flowers transformed in different degrees : one having a stamen par- 

 tially changed into a flower bud. And then, at the periphery of 

 this mixed cluster, come three complete umbellules and an incom- 

 plete one in which some petals and stamens of the original flower 

 remain. 5. A mixed cluster, in which the umbel-structure pre- 

 dominates, stands next. Its thi-ee central flowers are normal. 

 Surrounding them are five flowers over-developed in various ways, 

 like those already described. And on its periphery are seven 

 complete umbellules in place of flowers ; besides an incomplete 

 lunbellule that contains traces of the original flower, one of them 

 being a petal imperfectly twisted up into a bud. 6. Of the nine 

 external clusters, in which the development of simple into compound 

 umbels is most decided, nearly all present anomalies. Three of them 

 have each a central flower uutransformed ; and in others, the central 



* For the information of those who may wish to examine metamorphoses 

 of these kinds, I may here state that I have found nearly all the examples 

 described, in the neighbourhood of the sea — the last-named, on the shore of 

 Locheil, near Fort William. Whether it is that 1 have sought more dili- 

 gently for cases when in such localities, or whether it is that the sea-aii 

 favours that excessive nutrition whence these transformations result. I air 

 aofilile to say. 



