(no subject)

Jan Schlauer (zxmsl01@studserv.zdv.uni-tuebingen.de)
Mon, 15 Nov 1993 19:38:12 +0100

Barry, you wrote:

>So there *are* Pings with more that one flower on a single inflorescence?

Rarely, and only in these two mentioned species.
In other species, double or multiple flowers with varying degrees of
pedicel fusion do sometimes occur as a teratological aberration or
monstrosity.
These rare exceptions to the rule (esp. _P.ramosa_) do show quite well how
fixed the single-flowered mode is in that genus.
I must repeat, however: These several-flowered inflorescences (or rather
partial inflorescences, as there may be several from one rosette) in
_Pinguicula_ are *not* racemes, they do *not* have bracts or bracteoles,
and they quite certainly do *not* share a direct common origin with the
raceme of _Genlisea_/ _Utricularia_ or the pleiochasium of _Utricularia_
sect. Pleiochasia.

I'd summarize as follows:

1. The basic inflorescence type in Lentibulariaceae is a raceme (the
lateral branches of which being single-flowered pedicels) found in
_Genlisea_ and most _Utriculariae_.

2. Sometimes, the lateral branches may be replaced by secondary racemes,
which leads to formation of a panicle in some spp. of _Utricularia_. NB: I
doubt this to be of any systematic significance, as some individuals in a
population show it, while the others have normal racemes.

3. Sometimes, these lateral branches may be replaced by cymes, which leads
to the condition found in _U._ sect.Pleiochasia.

4. Sometimes, the peduncle internodes are extremely reduced, and the
pedicels are prolonged, leading to the basic inflorescence type of
_Pinguicula_.

5. If the basic principle of 4. (reduced peduncle internodes) is retained ,
and a transformation like in 3. (replacement of single-flowered pedicels by
cymes) does occur, we arrive at the condition sometimes found in _P.ramosa_
& _P.variegata_.

I hope you will find my rumination plausible rather than dogmatic (remember
I don't think I'm dead 8-))!
Kind regards
Jan