Such instances
constitute what we have called in a former lecture, "half races," and
their occurrence indicates that the casual observation of an anomaly is
not in itself adequate to give an opinion as to the chance of repetition
in sowing experiments. A large number of species seem to belong to this
case, and their names may be found in the above mentioned work by
Masters and elsewhere. But no effort has yet been made to separate
thoroughly the pistilloid half-races from the corresponding
ever-sporting varieties. Some plants are recorded as being more liable
to this peculiarity than others.
Stamens are sometimes replaced by open carpels with naked ovules arising
from their edges and even from their whole inner surfaces. This may be
seen in distinct strains of the cultivated bulbous Begonia, and more
rarely in primroses. Here the apex of the carpellary leaf is sometimes
drawn out into a long style, terminated by a flattened spatulate stigma.
The pistillody of the stamens is frequently [373] combined with another
deviation in the poppies. This is the growing together of some of the
altered stamens so as to constitute smaller or larger connate groups.
Often two are united, sometimes three, four or more. Flowers with
numerous altered stamens are seldom wholly free from this most
undesirable secondary anomaly.
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