irregular flower

Papilionaceous, butterfly-like; applied to the peculiar irregular flower common in Leguminos�.

Peloria, an abnormal return to regularity and symmetry in an irregular flower; commonest in Snapdragon.

An irregular flower is generally distinguished by petals of unequal size or shape.

When an habitually irregular flower becomes regular, it does so in one of two ways; either by the non-development of the irregular portions, or by the formation of irregular parts in increased number, so that the symmetry of the flower is rendered perfect, as in the original peloria of Linnæus, and which may be called irregular peloria, while the former case may be called regular peloria.

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.