SIMPLIFICATION. 



235 



and fig. 142, show a flower of 0. barbatum in which 

 the petals have united with two anterior sepals (the 

 result of division of the single anterior one). Another 

 drawing showed the same phenomenon in Disa uniflora. 



Magnus mentions the adherence of sepals to the 

 "column" in various orchids (PI. LI, fig. 2). The 

 present writer also observed this in a single sepal in 

 two flowers of Onoidium fuscatum. Carriere describes 

 and figures in the cherry (Prunus Oerasns) a very rare. 



141. 142. 

 Fig. 141. — Cypripedium superbiens. Adhesion of the two lateral petals 

 with the posterior sepal, and suppression of the labellum. Dia- 

 gram. 



Fig. 142. — Cypripedium barbatum. Adhesion of the two anterior 

 sepals (arising by division of the single one) with the lateral petals. 

 Diagram of the perianth. 



but extremely interesting case in which the sepals, 

 instead of being hypogynous in position, and caducous 

 in duration, were apparently seated at the top of the 

 fruit, and were persistent (PI. LI, fig. 3, and fig. 143 

 in text). The interest of this lies in the fact that here 

 we have a character reappearing in one section of the 

 order as an abnormality, which in another section, the 

 Pomeae, is the normal feature, viz. adhesion (as here 

 interpreted) of the sepal-bases with the pistil to form 

 the so-called " inferior " fruit. This abnormality 



