20 



PRINCIPLES OF PLANT-TERATOLOGY. 



of other flowers, however, there was clear evidence 

 that the petaloid leaves were petals, as the stamens 

 were exactly opposite to them, and there were one or 

 two extremely rudimentary structures, external to 

 these, which could be interpreted as sepals. These 

 flowers also differed from those examined by Hua in 

 possessing a well-developed ovary. It is not unlikely 

 that in some cases the sepals only, and in others the 

 petals only, would develop. In any event, the abnor- 

 mality is a rare one, especially the extra -axillary* 

 position of the secondary flowers. 



s 



Fig. 66. — Cyclamen persicum (Sow-bread). Diagram of flower produc- 

 ing secondary flowers between the calyx and corolla, s, sepals ; 

 fl 2 , secondary flower. 



In Cruciferse it is not uncommon for flowers to arise 

 in the axils of the sepals. Masters points out that 

 sepals have a greater tendency than other floral leaves 

 to produce axillary buds, which is probably due to 

 their more foliaceous character. 



Masters, in the case already cited, describes and 

 figures the occurrence of secondary flowers in the 

 axils of both the displaced and the normally-situated 

 sepals of the cucumber, and from one of the sepal- 

 axils of each such flower a tertiary flower also arose ; 

 the sepals were always foliaceous (PI. XXXI, fig. 1). 



* This is a true case of extra-axillary branching, whereas those usually 

 cited in text-books are not so. 



