Fig. 49.—Plan of natural arrangement in Dendrobium nobile. The x x represent processes of the column, perhaps rudiments of stamens.
Sometimes the displacement seems consequent on hypertrophy of one of the parts of the flower, the disproportionate size of one organ pushing the others out of place. This was the case in a violet, fig. 50, in which one of the sepals s was greatly thickened, and the petals and stamens were displaced in consequence.
Fig. 50.—Plan of flower of violet showing displacement of petals, &c. At b was a rudiment of a stamen.
It is curious to observe in many of these cases that the transposed organ not only occupies the place of a suppressed or abortive organ, but frequently assumes its colour, and, to some extent, its function. This has been alluded to in the case of the leaf of Gesnera ([see p. 88]) and in Orchids this replacement seems to be very common; thus, in addition to the cases before mentioned, in a flower of an Odontoglossum, for which I am indebted to Professor Oliver, the two lateral sepals were united together and occupied the position of the labellum, which was absent. A similar occurrence happens occasionally in Lycaste Skinneri, thus recalling the structure of Masdevallia, where the labellum is normally very small. The arrangement in Lycaste may thus be symbolised:
S
P st P
+
S S
---
[Transcriber's note: The underscores represent a horizontal curly brace in the original.]
the + indicating the position of the absent labellum.
Cases of this kind are the more interesting from their relation to the fertilization of these flowers by insects; it seems as though, when the labellum, which performs so important an office in attracting and guiding insects, is deficient, its place is supplied by other means.