OF DiMonpiiTC AND tuim:oupuic plants. 427 



excluded; aud he explains this anomalous circumstance by showing, 



first, that the anthers and stigma are in close apposition, and, 

 secondly, that the stamens with their pollen resemble the stamens 

 of the short-styled form, whilst the pistil resembles that of the 

 long-styled form both in length and in the structure of the stigma. 

 Hence the self-nnion of this variety is, in fact, a legitimate union, 

 and consequently is highly fertile. Mr. Scott further states that 

 this variety yielded very few seeds when fertilized by either the 

 long- or short-styled common Cowslip, and, again, that both forms 

 of the latter, when fertilized by the equal-styled variety, likewise 

 produced very few seeds. But the experiments with the Cowslip 

 tried by Mr. Scott were few in number ; and I suspect that the 

 results were accidental. Anyhow my observations on equal-styled 

 seedlings derived from the Edinburgh plant do not, as we shall 

 see, confirm his results. 



I raised 20 plants from self-fertilized seed sent me by Mr. Scott ; 

 and they all produced red flowers, varying slightly in tint. Of these, 

 two were strictly long-styled both in structure and in function ; 

 for their reproductive powers were tested by crosses wdth both 

 forms of the common cowslip. Six plants were equal-styled; but 

 on the same plant the pistil varied a good deal in length during 

 different seasons. This was likewise the case, according to Mr. 

 Scott, with the parent plant. Lastly, 12 plants were in appear- 

 ance short-styled; but they varied much more in the length of 

 their pistils than the ordinary short-styled Cowslip, and they 

 differed widely from the latter in their powers of reproduction. 

 Sliort-styled Cowslips, when insects are excluded, are extremely 

 barren : for instance, on one occasion six fine plants produced 

 only about 50 seeds (that is, less than the product of two good 

 capsules), and on another occasion not a single capsule. Now, 

 when the above 12 so-called short-styled seedlings were similarly 

 treated, all, except two or three, produced a great abundance of 

 capsules, containing numerous seeds, which germinated remarkably 

 well. Moreover three of these plants, which during the first year 

 were furnished with quite short pistils, on the following year pro- 

 duced pistils of extraordinary length. Hence the greater number 

 of the so-called short-styled plants cannot be distinguished in func- 

 tion from the equal-styled variety,which they likewise partially re- 

 semble in structure. The stamens in all these eighteen plants are 

 seated high up in the corolla, as in the true short-styled Cowslip ; 

 and the pollen-grains resemble those of the same form In their large 

 size, but are mingled with a few shrivelled grains. In function 



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