254 
W. B. Turrill, 
4. The stamens had a relatively broad connective and 2-lobed 
anthers, each lobe having two pollen-sacs and dehiscing longitudinally. 
5. A few flowers were found which were functionally female. 
These were usually situated low down on the plants and were 
therefore more or less covered by foliage and by taller plants. 
Their stamens were very much reduced in size and produced little 
or no pollen. Similar unisexual states of both Ranunculus bulbosus 
and R. acris have been found on the lawns at Kew. 
6. A series of interesting transition stages between stamens 
and petals were found and a selection are here figured. It will be 
noted that the filament is usually very short or entirely suppressed. 
Fig. la, is a normal stamen with two of the four pollen-sacs 
showing. Fig. 1, b represents a staminode from a flower with five 
ordinary green sepals and no petals. The staminode was short, 
narrow, and showed clear indications of two anther-lobes each 
with two pollen-sacs which dehisced by a common longitudinal slit 
setting free a small amount of pollen. 
Fig. \,c is very similar to the last but the pollen-sacs are not 
so well developed and only a little incomplete pollen was found at 
the base. Fig. 1, d is a staminode from a flower with five sepals and 
one fully developed petal. One anther-lobe was complete and had 
two pollen-sacs which produced a small amount of pollen, the other 
was formed below but was replaced above by a small pocket. 
Fig. 1, e represents a staminode from a flower with five sepals 
and one normal petal. In side view it strongly recalls the honey- 
leaves of species of Helleborus and Eranthis. No pollen was 
produced and both anther-lobes ended above in pockets. 
Fig. 1,/ is a staminode taken from a flower which also possessed 
five sepals and one normal and one nearly normal petal. A double 
pocket was present in the lower half and near the base there was 
an indicatation of a nectary. 
Figs. 1,^ and h are staminodes from a flower which also had five 
sepals and one normal petal. Some incomplete pollen grains were 
found near the margins. 
Fig. 1, i is a staminode from a flower which also had four sepals 
and one normal petal. No pollen grains were found. 
Fig. 1,7 represents a staminode which may be termed a petal, 
for a nectary is present near the base and no pollen was produced 
though the remnant of one of the anther-lobes was present. 
Fig. 1, k from a flower with five sepals, is a petal with a well- 
formed nectary but with thickened ridges parallel to the margins 
in the lower half. 
