FLOWER OF PINGUICULA VULGARIS, ETC. 547 



dissepiments in the Gratiolese is an indication of an approach to the structure of 

 an ovary with free central placenta ; I would only suggest that this is an idea 

 of the same character, and quite as fallacious, as the popular one that the pecu- 

 liar splitting of the fruit in Platystemon indicates an approach in that plant to 

 the apocarpous Kanunculacese. If, then, any affinity with Scrophulariacese is to 

 be found it must be in the floral envelopes and stamens. In Lentibulariacese we 

 have, no doubt, irregular bilabiate floral envelopes and partial suppression of the 

 andrcecium with a tendency to the didynamous structure ; but the value of this 

 combination of bilabiation with didynamy as determining the true affinities of a 

 given plant is seriously open to question. It must, I think, be evident to any 

 one reflecting on the subject, that such a combination of characters occurs in 

 several very different types, by what may be called a parallelism of development 

 or modification. Thus, 



1st, In Scrophulariacese, with 2-celled ovary and axile placentation ; a 



modification of the Solanaceous type. 

 2d, In Gesneracese and Orobanchacese, with 1-celled ovary and parietal 



placentation; a modification of the Hydrophyllaceous (?) type. 

 3d, In Labiatse, with gynobasic style and spuriously multiplied loculi; a 



modification (in spite of the difference in the position of the raphe) 



of the Boraginaceous type. 

 ith, In Morina (belonging to the order Dipsacacese), where we have a 



bilabiate corolla of five petals, and four stamens, two large and two 



small. 



On the whole, it seems to me that we have as little right to associate Lenti- 

 bulariacese with Scrophulariacese on account of bilabiate floral envelopes and 

 more or less didynamous stamens, as a zoologist would have to associate the 

 Echidna with Hedgehogs or with Porcupines, on account of the remarkable 

 correspondence in their prickly defence. 



With regard to the supposed affinity with Primulacese, we have a correspond- 

 ence in what may perhaps be viewed as the most remarkable structure in tbe 

 Lentibulariaceous flower, viz., the free central placenta; and I have shown at 

 least some plausible grounds for believing the Lentibulariaceous ovary to be com- 

 posed of five carpels, like that of Primulacese. The important differences between 

 the orders may thus be reduced to the position of the stamens and the albuminous 

 or exalbuminous character of the seeds. 



Payer, in his Lecons sur les Fam. Nat. des Plantes, places the order Salvador- 

 acese (consisting of the single genus Salvador a) in juxta-position with Lenti- 

 bulariacese. Both agree in the superposition of the stamens to the sepals, in 

 having a unilocular ovary with free central or basilar placentation, and in the 

 exalbuminous character of the seed. The question very naturally suggests itself, 



VOL. XXV. PART II. 8 F 



