Chap. VI. ON HETEROSTYLED PLANTS. 275 



in part, from reversion to the original state of the 

 genus, before the species had become heterostyled. 

 On the other hand, some considerations indicate, as 

 previously remarked, that the aboriginal parent-form 

 of Primula had a pistil which exceeded the stamens 

 in length. The fertility of the equal-styled varieties 

 has been somewhat modified, being sometimes greater 

 and sometimes less than that of a legitimate union. 

 Another view, however, may be taken with respect 

 to the origin of the equal-styled varieties, and their 

 appearance may be compared with that of hermaphro- 

 dites amongst animals which properly have their sexes 

 separated; for the two sexes are combined in a mon- 

 strous hermaphrodite in a somewhat similar manner 

 as the two sexual forms are combined in the same 

 flower of an equal-styled variety of a heterostyled 

 species. 



Final remarks. — The existence of plants which have 

 been rendered heterostyled is a highly remarkable 

 phenomenon, as the two or three forms of the same 

 undoubted species differ not only in important points 

 of structure, but in the nature of their reproductive 

 powers. As far as structure is concerned, the two 

 sexes of many animals and of some plants differ to an 

 extreme degree; and in both kingdoms the same 

 species may consist of males, females, and hermaphro- 

 dites. Certain hermaphrodite cirripedes are aided in 

 their reproduction by a whole cluster of what I have 

 called complemental males, which differ wonderfully 

 from the ordinary hermaphrodite form. With ants 

 we have males and females, and two or three castes of 

 sterile females or workers. With Termites there are, 

 as Fritz Muller has shown, both winged and wingless 

 males and females, besides the workers. But in none 



^^^^Hfl 



