84 



PRINCIPLES OF PLANT-TERATOLOGY. 



(N. Tazdta) Celakovsky observed one to two extra 

 whorls of stamens, of which the innermost was for the 

 most part reduced to sterile filaments. 



In the Zingiberacese the anterior of the three 

 staminodes constituting the onter whorl of the andrce- 

 cium is normally absent. This is owing to the fact 

 that the labellnm, belonging to the inner whorl, is in 

 the same median plane, and would therefore be 

 immediately opposed to this staminode ; as the law of 

 alternation will not admit of this, the staminode in- 

 evitably becomes suppressed. Both Eichler and F. 

 Muller observed, in some abnormal flowers of Alpwia, 

 the reappearance of this anterior staminode. What 



Fig. 95. — Al/rinia. Reappearance of anterior stamen (staminode) 

 (std) of outer whorl ; division of anterior labelhim (lb) of inner 

 whorl. (Diagram, after F. Muller.) 



was the direct cause of this ? A very illustrative one, 

 viz., the division of the median labellnm (representing 

 a fusion of the two anterior lateral stamens of the inner 

 whorl) into its original constituents, which then 

 assumed their normal lateral position (fig. 95). The 

 law of alternation then permitted of the formation of 

 the third anterior staminode. 



In peloric flowers of Scrophulariacese, such as occur 

 in Scrophularia, Pedicularis, etc., the fifth (posterior) 

 stamen, normally either absent or in the form of a 

 staminode, is usually as fully developed as the remain- 

 ing four. In the flowers of the mullein (Vcrbascum), 

 which are almost actinomorphic, there are normally 

 five fully-developed stamens present. 



The genus Veronica of this order possesses only two 



