118 PBINCIPLBS OF PLANT-TERATOLOGY. 



instance of this in the apple which is here reproduced 

 (PI. XXXIX, fig. 3). In such cases the character- 

 istic swollen and fleshy base of the flower, viz., the 

 " pome " or the " hip " completely disappears and the 

 carpels occur in a perfectly superior position, in that 

 position, in fact, in which they are formed in those 

 plants which, on other grounds, are regarded as the 

 more primitive. A stud}^ of the early development of 

 normal flowers in the bud reveals the fact that the 

 carpels arise at first in the superior position and at a 

 later stage become depressed into the " inferior " one, 

 hence the ontogeny is in this case a recapitulation of 

 the phylogeny. 



In a fasciated flower of the vegetable marrow 

 {Gucurbita Pepo) the "inferior" ovary had completely 

 vanished; a swelling at the base of the styles and 

 above the insertion of the petals probably represented 

 a rudimentary ovary. 



But Masters gives a very striking instance in the 

 cucumber {Gucumis sativus) ; in the secondary flowers, 

 produced as a result of proliferation from the axils of 

 the petals of the male flower, carpels occurred in a 

 perfectly superior position amongst the stamens, and, 

 further, these carpels were completely open, exposing 

 the ovules attached to their margins, a fact which 

 shows that the placentation in the Cucurbitacese is 

 really marginal. 



Begonia-&oyvers are very apt to show changes of this 

 kind. One was observed in which the " inferior " ovary 

 was almost extinct, and the styles were growing out 

 of a large solid green mass in a " superior " position 

 which was completely covered externally with ovules, 

 and probably represented the greatly- swollen placental 

 bases of the carpels. 



In erect, more or less virescent flowers of the snow- 

 drop (Gfilnntliui^), received from Miss Partridge, Hock- 

 ham, Norfolk, the " inferior " ovary had disappeared 

 and the carpels were represented by minute, colourless, 

 imperfectly expanded and unfolded leaves, bearing 



