ON PRESUMED PARTHENOGENESIS IN A SPECIES OF ABERIA. 67 
On a presumed case of Parthenogenesis in a Species of Aberia. 
By T. AxpEnsóx, M.D., F.L.S., Officiating Superintendent of 
the Caleutta Botanie Gardens. 
[Read January 15, 1863.] 
Two thorny bushes, supposed to be the Kei Apple of South Africa, 
and provisionally referred to Diospyros, have been for some years 
in the Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, without producing flowers. A 
few months after I received charge of the Botanic Gardens, in 
March 1861, the largest plant bore a large crop of well-ripened 
fruits, though only pistilliferous flowers could be detected at the 
time of flowering, the species being dicecious. The seeds obtained 
from these fruits were sown, and there is now a vigorous stock of 
young plants. In February 1862 the same plant flowered; and 
from the opening of the first flower-bud until the last withered 
flower dropped off, not a day passed without a careful examination 
being made by me for the traces of a stamen in the flowers, but 
without finding one. The plant continued in flower for nearly a 
month, but produced only pistilliferous flowers. Many of the 
ovaries became enlarged to the size of peas, and a corresponding 
increase took place in the ovules; but all ultimately fell off the tree. 
This tree was unfortunately destroyed a few months ago, in a very 
severe gale. The second specimen has not yet flowered ; it was 
artificially propagated from the original plant, now lost, and is 
therefore pistilliferous. Before I saw the flowers, I despatched 
specimens of the fruit to Sir W. Hooker for the Museum at Kew. 
Dr. Hooker recognized the fruit as belonging to Hochstetter’s 
genus Aberia; and my examination of the flowers confirms this 
identification*. The plant does not occur in Harvey & Sonder’s 
‘Flora Capensis,’ though these botanists describe two species of 
Aberia from South Africaf. I can find no account, among the 
records in my possession, of the introduction of the plant into the 
* That portion of the generic description referring to the number of the 
styles and the cells of the ovary must be altered to include this species. The 
number of styles in the other species is 2-3, and of the cells of the ovary 1-3, 
but usually 2. In Aberia edulis both the styles and the cells of the ovary are 
from 6-8 in number. 
t [This species is described, in the Addenda to the 2nd volume of the ‘ Flora 
Capensis, as 4. Caffra.—J. D. H.] 
