Ficaria verna , and other Members of the Ranunculaceae. 63 
members, be interpreted as transformed stamens. It is important to recog- 
nize this fact that even here, where the corolla segments have obviously 
originated from stamens (as have the honey-leaves in other Ranunculaceae), 
increase in number is far more frequently an outcome of the fission of the 
rudiments already present than of further transformation of stamens. 
Hence we find a correlated increase in the androecium and corolla. In the 
example instanced, however, in which the position of the supernumerary 
petals indicated transformation, the correlated increase of the androecium 
was much less pronounced than the normal. 
(3) The androecium . The variation ‘ curve ’ for this region of the flower 
exhibits the same salient features as in E rant his hyemalis. Out of a total 
Fig. 11. A and b, branched stamens of Ficaria verna ; c, petaloid stamen; D, partially 
coloured sepal; E, sepal with lobed lamina; F, Anemone nemo7'osa, branched stamen; g, bilobed 
petal of Ficaria verna ; h-j, variation in the sepals of F. verna. 
of over 500 flowers completely dissected the minimum number of stamens 
exhibited by any flower was a multiple of three. This minimal condition 
should, if the variation ‘ curve ’ were of the normal type, be only presented by 
a very small percentage of individuals. In actual fact there were no less 
than fifteen examples, a number so high as not merely to emphasize the 
reality of this secondary maximum, but also the abrupt character of the 
lower limit. 
It is also very significant that the three highest numbers observed were 
also multiples of the three and occur as isolated points on the variation 
‘ curve ’, since the largest number, foot a multiple of three, was forty-nine (cf. 
Fig. 12). 
Most frequently the androecium consists of either twenty-one or 
twenty-four stamens, but secondary maxima also occur at most other 
