METAMORPHOSIS. 



155 



which were inserted in the § cycle proper for the 

 corolla ; they were shorter than the other stamens : 

 this also is a case of reversion. 



A curious horticultural phenomenon was described 

 by Violle in the rose. A very strong specimen of the 

 " Grloire de Dijon " suddenly produced on all its 

 branches completely " single " flowers ; eight days 

 later the usual " double " flowers were formed on the 

 same shoots. 



Partial transformation of the petals is not very 

 infrequent. In Gloxinias all the petals showed traces 

 of anther-formation in the form of a white stripe 

 running up from the base and terminating half-way 

 up the petal in a small projecting lamina ; others bore 

 two rather well-developed anther-loculi in the very 

 middle of the petal. 



In some flowers of Crocus zonatus the petals were 

 trilobed, and in some of these the middle lobe consisted 

 of an anther. 



Henslow describes flowers of the potato in which 

 the petals were almost completely changed into 

 stamens. 



In a diseased fuchsia, in which most of the flowers 

 were smaller than in the normal healthy plant, the 

 petals were half- stamin ate in character, having long 

 stalks and bearing ventral outgrowths. In one case 

 half of the petal was represented by a long-stalked 

 anther. 



Partial staminody of the petals is a constant feature 

 in Amelanchier oblongifolia var. micropetala. 



Eichler and F. Mailer record that in some abnormal 

 flowers of Alpinia (Zingiberacese) the petaloid structure 

 (labellum) resulting from union of the two anterior 

 stamens of the inner whorl, became, not only resolved 

 into its original constituents, but these resumed their 

 former character as fertile stamens (see page 84, 

 fig. 95). 



In the curious fasciated flower of Scilla described 

 on pages 48 and 49, all the petals bore anther- vestiges. 



