two abortive stamens.

[Illustration: FIG. 195.--Diagram of flower of _Orchis mascula_
with two additional lips, two perfect and two imperfect stamens
(after Cramer).]

Morren[454] describes some flowers of _Orchis morio_ in which
there were three sepals, three petals, and within the latter
two other ternary series of petals; this would seem to be a
case of petalody of all six stamens. Morren, however, seems to
have considered the additional segments as repetitions of the
corolline whorl, though he describes a central mass as the
column bearing a "_souvenir_ of the anther." Nevertheless,
there is no decisive evidence either in his figure or his
description in support of his opinion as to the nature of the
central mass, which might be a distorted condition of the
styles, or, as is more probable, a rudimentary and irregular
flower. Morren also describes another flower of the same plant
in which there were three sepals, two lateral petals partially
lip-like in aspect, a third labellum normal, two additional
labella representing the two anterior stamens of the outer
whorl, while more or less developed rudiments of the remaining
four stamens also exist.

While, in most cases, the supernumerary stamens can, by reason
of their relative position, their complete or partial
antheriferous nature, be safely referred to one or other of the
six stamens, making up a typical orchid flower, there are other
specimens in which the additional stamens are altogether
adventitious, and do not admit of reference to the homologue.
Thus it was in a specimen of _Odontoglossum Alexandrae_ examined
by the writer, and in which, within a normally constructed
perianth, there were six columns, all polliniferous, but
arranged in so confused and complicated a manner that it was
impossible to make out any definite relation in their position.
There was nothing to indicate a fusion of flowers, but rather
an extension of the centre of the flower, and consequent
displacement of the stamens, &c. Again, the existence of
adventitious stamens does not necessarily imply the development
of organs usually suppressed, inasmuch as they may result from
the assumption by the lateral petals of staminal
characteristics.

Nevertheless, as far as teratology is concerned, speci