570 Notes on the Flowering of Saxifraga sarmentosa., | August, 
were learning the advantages of such an accomplishment on the 
mountains of China. 
In flowering it throws up from a rosette of radical leaves a 
slender naked- scape which gradually develops into a cymose ' 
panicle. The flowers are of the unique form shown in Figs. I 
and 2. The two lower petals are white, and from two to three 
times longer than the three upper ones, which are pink, and each 
marked by two darker spots and one yellow spot, the latter at the. 
base, There are ten stamens arranged in two whorls, those alter- 
nate with the petals maturing a day or two earlier than the others. 
There are two pistils, and on the upper side of their ovaries a 
triple nectary, zvzde Fig. 3 e. This nectary, in its structure and posi- 
tion, suggests the idea that it may be formed of abortive pistils. 
The flowers open with surprising regularity. There is first only 
one at the top of the scape, then when it has passed maturity 
the first at the ends of the branches open simultaneously ; after 
these have passed their maturity, then the second ones on each 
branch open, and so on. This regularity is most apparent in the 
earlier flowering. When the panicle is crowded, unequal distribu- 
tion of light, heat, etc.,seems to confuse and break up this order 
somewhat. The table subjoined shows these facts. It should be 
remarked that the position of the plant examined was changed 
from time to time. There is an irregularity in the flowering of 
branches vit and rx, which may be due to their unfavorable ne 
‘tion at the very base of the panicle. 
Several very curious facts concerning the order of d 
ment of the different organs of the flower, were noted. 
1. Of the lower petals, which are always unequal, the longer 
one is always on the side toward the branch which forms the 
a flower next succeeding. As this 1s 
on opposite sides in successive flow- 
ers, it follows that the longer petals 
of flowers on any branch of the 
panicle are towards each other. 
This relation is shown in Fig. I- 
I —Saxifraga sarmentosa (na 2, In both sets of stamens, those 
ural size) ; a, pistillate stage; 4, stam- on the lower side of the whorl 
pa develop first. No. 1 (vide Fig. 2) 
always develops first, then Nos: 2 and 5 before Nos. 3 and 4; and 
in the second set Nos. 6 and 7 before 8 and 10, and No. 9- always 
last. 
