Many of the double flowers owe their peculiar appearance to the combination of the following appearances—a petal-like form of the stamens, increase in the number of these organs and similar changes affecting the pistils, and is applied to several distinct conditions. If in any given flower all the stamens and all the pistils become wholly petaloid, no pollen is formed, and of course no seeds can be produced, but this very rarely happens, as usually some pollen is produced, and some ovules capable of being fertilised are developed.

In double flowers of Primula sinensis it frequently happens that the capsule is either partially leafy or partly petal-like; in either case the fruit is open at the extremity, and often destitute of the style and stigma. It is, however, doubtful if the ovules can be fertilised in these flowers.

The following list comprises the names of those genera in which this change has been most frequently observed, independently of corresponding alterations in the stamens, but it is more usual for both sets of organs to be similarly affected.

Petalody of the ovules.—The principal changes which occur in the ovule have already been alluded to at [pp. 262–272]; it may here be stated, however, that the ovules are occasionally represented by small stalked petal-like structures. This happens with especial frequency among Cruciferæ.[313]

Petalody of the accessory organs.—A petaloid condition of the disc, of the scales, or other excrescences from the axis or from the lateral portions of the flower, is of frequent occurrence, though it is but rarely that the change is of any great importance in a morphological point of view. C. Morren has given the name adenopetaly to a case wherein one of the glands at the base of the petals in Lopezia was replaced by a petal.[314] A similar change may be seen in the double Oleander.

Staminody of the bracts.—An instance of this has been already alluded to in Abies excelsa, as observed by Prof. Dickson, and in which some of the bracts were seen assuming the form and characteristic of the stamens see ante: p. 192. Signor Licopoli met with a similar substitution of anthers for bracts in Melianthus major.[315]

Staminody of the sepals and petals.—In the first named this is of very rare occurrence. M. Gris has recorded an instance in Philadelphus speciosus[316] which appears to be the only case on record. The corresponding change in the case of the petals is far more common. De Candolle cites in illustration of this occurrence flowers of the common haricot, in which the alæ and carina of the corolla were thus changed.[317] There is in cultivation a form of Saxifraga granulata wherein the petals are replaced by stamens, so that there are fifteen stamens. A similar change has been observed in Capsella bursa-pastoris.

Cramer figures and describes a stamen occupying the place of a petal in Daucus Carota.[318] Turpin[319] describes a similar occurrence in Monarda fistulosa, in which the lower lip terminated in an anther, but this may have been a case of adhesion. Moquin cites from Chamisso, Digitalis purpurea, and from Jussieu, Asphodelus ramosus, as having presented this change, and Wiegmann[320] has seen anthers developed on the awns of Avena chinensis. In semi-double flowers of Ophrys aranifera and Orchis mascula, the lateral petals are occasionally partially antheroid, and others occur in which two of the outer series of stamens, which are ordinarily suppressed, are present, but in a petaloid state. Reichenbach[321] figures an illustration of this change, and also Moggridge.[322]

Staminody of the pistils.—The existence of this change has been denied by several authors, nevertheless, it is of sufficiently common occurrence. Alexander Braun notices the transformation of pistils into stamens in Chives (Allium Scorodoprasum), and in which three stamens appeared in the place of as many pistils, and had extrorse anthers, while the six normal anthers are introrse. In the horse-radish (Armoracia rusticana), two of the carpels are frequently converted into stamens, while two other organs absent from the normal flower make their appearance as carpels. Roeper has observed this phenomenon in Euphorbia palustris,[323] and in Gentiana campestris.[324] In these examples one of the carpels was apparently absent, and its place supplied by an anther. Roeper has also mentioned a balsam with a supernumerary stamen occupying exactly the position of a carpel.[325]