Ficaria verna, and other Members of the Ramtnctilaceae. 59 
should have the unique condition of a whorl which exhibited variations 
exclusively in the direction of progression. 
In a few flowers nectaries have been observed one side of which bore 
an anther containing apparently fertile pollen (Fig. 2, G and H, a). These 
and the rare instances of two nectaries on the same staminal orthostichy 
show that here, as is probably the case for all the Helleboreae, the nectaries 
are staminodal structures. That is to say, the honey- leaves bearing anthers 
are to be regarded as reversions. 
Not infrequently nectaries showing an enlarged petaloid anterior lobe 
are encountered (Fig. 2, F), thus emphasizing the potentialities of the 
androecium in this direction. Such petaloid nectaries are always situated 
on the staminal orthostichies and in this respect differ from the super- 
numerary perianth segments. Moreover they usually exhibit only one 
vascular bundle at the base and, in all the cases seen, show some indication 
of a nectary. An interesting example is illustrated in Fig. 3, E, where the 
resemblance to the staminodal petal of Ranunculus is striking. But this 
condition, whilst indicating how the adaxial scale of that genus may have 
arisen, is too rare to be regarded as an indication of any tendency here. 
Table I. 
Er an this hy emails. 
Number of 
Nectaries , 
Number of Perianth Segments . 
Totals . 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
4 Number of specimens 
— 
1 
__ 
— 
— 
1 
100 % 
5 
55 55 
1 
9 
4 
1 
— 
15 
6*6% 
59*9 % 
26.6% 
6.6% 
6 
55 55 
— 
163 
12 
2 
— 
177 
92 % 
6 . 7 % 
i-i % 
7 
55 55 
1 
50 
6 
7 
1 
65 
8 
i- 5 % 
76-5 % 
9 - 2 % 
lc *7 % 
i -5 % 
55 55 
1 
16 
5 
2 
— 
24 
4 -r % 
66-6 % 
20.8 % 
8-3 % 
9 
5 5 5 5 
— 
4 
3 
2 
— 
9 
44-4 % 
33-3 % 
22.2 % 
10 
55 5 5 
— 
4 
1 
1 
— 
6 
1 1 
66-6 % 
16.6 % 
2 
16.6% 
12 
5 5 5 ? 
100 % 
5 ? : > 
100 % 
Totals 
3 
248 
33 
15 
! 
3 °° 
1 % 
82.6 % 
11 % 
5 % 
o- 3 % 
