METAMORPHOSIS. 



131 



The resemblance, alike in number, size, consistence, 

 and position, of the bracts of Hepatica (often placed in 

 the genus Anemone) to the sepals of Ranunculus 

 Ficaria would strongly suggest a common origin for 

 the two ; and if the calyx of some Ranunculaceae, e.g. 

 Anemone (to which Hepatica is closely allied), is most 

 probably staminal in origin, the same origin must be 

 ascribed, directly or indirectly, to the calyx of all 

 other members of the order* ; and hence it is most 

 likely that the bracts of Hepatica are staminal in 

 origin, and are not in process of giving rise to a calyx. 

 Celakovsky mentions that occasionally a fourth inner- 

 most bract is added to the involucre of Hepatiea by 

 transformation of the first or outermost sepal. 



It was observed in the marsh-marigold (Galtlia 

 palustris) that one of the sepals had become displaced 

 clown the peduncle for a distance of a quarter of an 

 inch, leaving a gap in the calyx ; it still retained its 

 yellow colour and consistence. 



Here also ma}^ be mentioned an example, received 

 from Dr. Salisbury, in which one of the sepals of a 

 flower of the harebell (Campanula rotun difolia) had 

 become displaced 1 J inches down the peduncle, leaving 

 a gap in the calyx ; it had also assumed the size and 

 shape of a foliage-leaf. 



Both these last phenomena may be regarded as of 

 the nature of attempts to form bracteoles. 



These facts certainly seem to support the view that 

 bracts (or bracteoles) have been (in the above cases 

 at any rate) derived from sepals. This deduction will 

 thus help to explain a phenomenon observed recently 

 in a tulip-flower which consisted of the carry in g-up 

 of two bracts (by fusion, apparently, of their bases 

 with the peduncle) to form part of the calyx. This 

 may be regarded as a reversion, the bracts simply 

 returning from whence they came. It can hardly be 



* Celakovsky describes and figures flowers of Ranunculus Ficaria in which 

 two extra sepals, making five in all (cf. Ranunculus acer, etc.), had been 

 added by transformation of the petals. 



