220 Contribntion to a Statistical Study of the Ct ucifercE 
as already pointed out, formed earlier in the bud, this view is clearly untenable. 
Two whorls must be taken into consideration owing to the difference in the levels 
of insertion, the single stamens being lower down. Kunth, Wydler, Chatin and 
others regard these two whorls as typically four-membered (tetramerous), those of 
the outer whorl corresponding in position to the sepals, those of the inner whorl 
corresponding in position to the petals. To arrive at a typical cruciferous flower 
from this, two stamens in the outer whorl abort, while the individuals of the two 
pairs of the inner whorl come together. (Plate I, fig. 3.) 
Others (Krause, Wretschko and Duchartre) regard the outer whorl as typically 
dimerous (i.e. with two constituents) and the inner whorl as typically tetramerous 
(i.e. four-membered). 
The more modern view, however, I'egards both whorls as dimerous but the 
inner one chorised collaterally thus giving the typical cruciferous flower. 
The reasons put forward to support this theory are as follows : 
(1) The upper long stamens are usually paired in the median line, also 
sometimes coherent. Further, in place of one or both of the pairs, there occurs 
sometimes a single stamen — a hint at reversion, or one or both pairs may be 
replaced by three or more — a suggestion of further chorisis. 
(2) In the earliest visible stage of development in the bud it may be seen 
that each pair of stamens arises from a single wart-like projection and that division 
is therefore a secondary result. This is not very easily demonstrable in the 
Cruciferee but is more evident in a closely allied family, the Capparidacese. 
Since the present study includes numerical variation in the different constituents 
and positions of the androecium it will be interesting to note to what extent any 
one of these theories is borne out by the variations in this flower. 
4. Orientation of the floiver. 
Having defined the positions of the various stamens relative to one another, 
in what is usually regarded as a normal cruciferous flower, let us now consider the 
different possibilities when the flower is abnormal. 
Suppose that one of the pairs of stamens of the inner whorl is represented by 
a single stamen, that is, suppose that chorisis had not taken place. Now with 
regard to the peduncle of the inflorescence this stamen might be placed in two 
diametrically opposite positions, namely (1) it might be adjacent to the peduncle 
(Plate I, fig. 4) or (2) it might be on the distal half of the flower with reference 
to the peduncle (Plate I, fig. 5). 
Two questions now arise, (1) do non-chorised stamens occur as frequently as 
chorised stamens on the side of the flower next to the peduncle ? or (2) do either 
of these occur with greater frequency in this adjacent position ? 
According to which of these questions is answered in the affirmative must we 
conclude whether there is any connection or correlation between the proximity of 
