110 



THUNBERGI A GRANDIFLORA. 



The fact of the outer smaller lacinise belonging to a second series 

 is not very apparent, but is corroborated by the evidently internal 

 situation of the bracteoid scale, and by the evidently elevated lines 

 visible in the inner. 



(April 3rd, 1837. — On march towards the Serpentine mines) the 

 face of the perianth, corresponds to these smaller lacinise. 



April 1th. — Thunbergia grandiflora has the pedicels of its flowers 

 twisted, or not twisted, according to the situation of the flowers. 

 Thus if the flower be so situated that the raceme has the direction 

 of the axis, or in other words is erect, the pedicel is straight, but 

 if the raceme, as generally happens, be pendulous, the twisting of 

 the pedicel is resorted to, to secure the flower that situation which 

 it would have, were the raceme erect. 



The above is obvious in flowers which from elongation of the axis 

 of inflorescence, have fasciculate or aggregate flowers. An obvious 

 inference is, that the twisting of the pedicel is not of generic, nor of 

 specific importance ; and that it is capable of being produced artificially. 



This resupination is not uncommon in the order ; it is most evident 

 in Thunbergia coccinea, in which the racemes are always pendu- 

 lous. There is nothing, at least in this species, in the situation of 

 the genitalia to account for the resupination. 



Pedicelli demum apicem infra articulati, the inflorescence of this 

 order is always centrifugal, the partial axis being invariably as 

 well indeed as the general, disposed to dichotomy. Hence the very 

 common presence of three bracteae to each flower, the central one 

 presenting the leaf from whose axil the partial branch springs. 



Stipulae — if the analogy of these be difficult to ascertain, the struc- 

 ture and functions would appear to be as of leaves, in addition to the 

 function of protection. In most cases they are certainly not double 

 organs ; in Naucleacese they are apparently so. Can this be ex- 

 plained by supposing them to form a bud with four scales, the scales 

 instead of being imbricate, being on one plane. Stipellee of Legumi- 

 nosse are certainly single ; these being all probably stipulate plants, are 

 to be considered as having terminal buds, the buds being either totally, 

 or partially protected by the stipulae. The difficult nature of ochreae of 

 Polygoneae is certainly to be acknowledged, but they are similar 

 to those of Costus, and hence not stipulse, but an extension of the 

 margin of the vaginate petiole, from which veins are prolonged into it ; 

 the functions of these are not stomatose, since they are membranous, 

 the veins being the only green parts. 



