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of certain Species of Primula . 
Mac Nab 1 has recorded a bilobed stigma. In describing 
a specimen, he states : ‘ The whole of the flower is perfectly 
normal, except that the stigma is markedly bilobed. The 
ovary does not seem to consist of more carpels than usual.’ 
The flowers, with the anomalous stigmas, had but a single 
style ; a certain number of blossoms, however, were observed 
which possessed more than one ; thus there were seen six cases 
of two styles, four of three, and one of four (Table II). It was 
often noticed that when the number of styles was more than 
one, these organs were shorter than is normally the case (Nos. 
3 and 4, Fig. 20). It may also be stated that in cultivated 
plants of P. floribunda, a comparatively high proportion of 
flowers examined showed lobed stigmas ; but in all cases 
a single style was present. It is also worthy of note that in 
these instances of lobed stigmas, excepting one flower in which 
the number of parts was normal throughout, there was an 
increase in the number of the members of each whorl. The 
exception had a two-lobed stigma, but the calyx, corolla, 
and androecium each had five component parts. Of the 
other cases the following held : — C 9 Co 9 An ln stigma two-lobed, 
C 6 Co 6 An 6 stigma two-lobed, C 6 Co 6 An 6 stigma irregularly 
lobed and somewhat peltate. 
Comparing these numbers with what obtained in those 
flowers of P. vulgaris having lobed stigmas, it is found that 
in the latter plant the majority of such flowers had their 
normal number of sepals, &c. ; never was there a marked 
increase as in the case of P . floribunda. 
It is true that the proportion of these variations in the 
style and stigma is very low : they are of interest, however, 
when the discussion as to the number of carpels present in 
the ovary is borne in mind. 
It might be argued from these abnormalities that the ovary 
is composed of more than one carpel : but it has to be borne 
in mind that teratological evidence, taken by itself and with- 
out reference, to the facts of development, is, according to 
1 Mac Nab, On some Abnormal Flowers of Primula. Proc. Roy. Dublin Soc., 
vol. ii, 1878-80. 
