152 MR. A. W. BENNETT ON THE FLORAL 
I have pever noticed the least indication of any intermediate 
condition between the two kinds of flower, as is stated to occur 
in some species of Ozalis and Campanula. 
I have been unable this year to make similar observations on 
Impatiens noli-me-tangere and I. parviflora. Plants of the former, 
observed in the Botanie Gardens at Oxford on the last day of 
September, had abundance of the “cleistogenous” flowers with 
half-expelled corolla-cap, while scarcely any of the perfect flowers 
were to be met with, and those on different plants: 
Mr. Darwin has kindly permitted me to append to this paper 
the following remarks with which he has favoured me :—“ I am 
glad you have drawn attention to the difference in the bud- 
state of the perfect and imperfect flowers; for I remember; 
many years ago, objecting to Asa Gray that he considered 
the imperfect flowers (not, I think, in the case of Impatiens) 
arrested buds, and I maintained that their structure had been 
specially modified for their functions. From observations by 
myself in 1863, I find I was struck with the small size of the 
anthers, and the very small quantity of pollen. The grains are 
of the same diameter as in the perfect flowers, but they appeared 
to be more unequal in size. I distinctly saw pollen-grains pro- 
truding from the grains whilst within the anthers, and penetrating 
the stigma. I cannot believe that I could have overlooked the 
facts of the anthers not dehiscing. Ido not mention in my notes 
that the pollen-grains are tied together by threads, as I do in the 
case of the pollen of the perfect flowers. I speak of the nectary M 
the cleistogenous flowers as a mere rudiment. From the fact of the 
nectary in the perfect flowers containing nectar, and from the pol- 
len-grains being tied together by threads, I cannot doubt that they 
are crossed by insects, and I am almost certain that they are fre- 
quently visited by humble-bees. The structure of the flowers 
, seems to me so well adapted for crossing, that I expected that 
the perfect flowers would be sterile without the aid of insects. 
In this I was quite wrong, as the perfect flowers, when protected, 
produced pods. Eleven such pods from perfect flowers, sponta- 
neously self-fertilized, yielded on an average 3°45 seeds. I care- 
fully brushed away the pollen from some of the perfect flowers, 
and fertilized them with pollen from a distinct plant, but got 
only three pods, containing, to my surprise, only 2, 2, an 
l seed. I attributed this poverty at the time to this plant pro 
bably requiring repeated doses of pollen, as is certainly some 
times the case.” 
