CERTAIN VARIETIES OF THE COMMON SUGAR-CANE. 199 
Later, there is given a good drawing of the plant and flower, in 
Hooker’s Bot. Misc. i. p. 101; to this is added a full account of 
the sugar-cane and its cultivation in Jamaica, by Macfadyen. 
An excellent drawing, with a full analysis of the flower and pistil, 
is given by Schacht (‘Madeira und Teneriffe,’ tab. 1). This I 
regard as the most satisfactory representation of the floral 
structure of the sugar-cane. The description given by Bentley 
and Trimen (‘ Medicinal Plants,’ tab. 298) is excellent, but the 
analysis of the flower is by no means good. 
In all these, no attempt has been made to describe the seed. 
It is probable, therefore, that so far no ripe seed had come under 
the notice of the numerous botanists who had described the plant 
and flowers. 
During the last two years, owing to very intelligent experiments 
carried on at the Botanical Station at Barbados, Professor 
Harrison and Mr. Bovell have shown very conclusively that 
certain varieties of the common sugar-cane still produce mature 
fruit. The first statement on the subject by Professor Harrison 
has already been published*. It is only necessary to mention 
here, that for many years self-sown seedlings of sugar-cane 
appear to have been observed at Barbados and elsewhere. 
Some of these natural seedlings have been successfully raised 
and established. Owing, however, to the very few fertile fruits 
produced in each panicle—possibly not more than one in every 
three or four thousand spikelets—and owing also to their very 
small size, it is very difficult indeed to observe them f. The ex- 
periments at Barbados, confirmed by observations at Trinidad, 
Demerara, and latterly at Kew, have now very clearly proved 
that the varieties of sugar-cane known as “ Purple Transparent ” 
and “White Transparent” periodically produce seed at 
Barbados; and that the Bourbon cane, known also as the 
"Otaheite cane," does so very sparingly. From seed of the 
former, received from Barbados, sugar-cane plants have been 
successfully grown at Kew, and observations have been made 
which are embodied in this note. 
Although there are numerous varieties of the common sugar- 
cane, only a few are widely cultivated in sugar-producing 
countries. These being propagated by cuttings or shoots, retain 
* Kew Bulletin, 1888, p. 294. 
+ On the economical value of the fact that the sugar-cane does produce seed 
see Kew Bulletin, 1889, p. 242. 
LINN. JOURN.—BOTANY, VOL. XXVIII. Q 
