Page:The Journal of Indian Botany, Volume III.djvu/19

NOTES ON INDIAN PLANT TERATOLOGY. 9 The abnormal flower described in section (3) B. has its pedicel fused with that of another, normal flower, the two flowers being the only ones on the scape, and subtended by an interesting double bract (Eig, 6). The constituents are fused along the midribs of their dorsal

Fig. 6. Laminar outgrowths in a double bract of Habenaria grandiflora Taindl

surfaces. The two leaf-halves, nearest the flowers, are reduced, and devoid of nerves. Their dorsal surfaces are fused in their lower third parts to the pedicel of the normal flower. The other two leaf-halves are well developed, each with two lateral nerves, and the fusion is so perfect, that if the reduced pair were absent, the structure would be morphologically undistinguishable from a normal bract. Opposite the double bract, there is a small undeveloped branchlet, representing the displaced main part of the scape.