92 ON THE PRODUCTION OF SEED IN WISTARIA SINENSIS. 



Physiological writers may not have called attention to these 

 different forms of vital force as pointedly as I have done here ; 

 but there is no novelty in the facts. The matter I wished to 

 draw attention to in the last paper I have noted above, was that 

 the production of fruit in the Wistaria was an additional proof 

 that the vegetative force was considerably drawn on by the self- 

 sustaining position of the Wistaria, as evidenced by the activity 



of the reproductive forces. 



Recent contributions to vegetative biology, especially in rela- 

 tion to the value of cross-fertilization by insect agency, lead me 



Wi 



may be acceptable to botanists. 



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seeds. It flowers abundantly. One would suppose that the 

 facts I had already published would show that the failure to seed 

 was a matter of nutrition, as regulated by the relative condition 

 of the two before-named forces ; but attention has been drawn to 

 it in connexion with the visits of insects, and the failure to pro- 

 duce seed is supposed to arise from the fact of bees not cross- 

 fertilizing the flowers. Bees visit the flowers in great numbers, 

 but they always bore the corolla from the outside instead of 

 entering the mouth ; and the inference is drawn that the flowers 

 do not perfect their seed, viz. being presumedly dependent on 



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I may here remark that the raceme is made up of nearly a 

 hundred flowers, borne on pedicels which become gradually weaker 

 from the base to the summit. G-overned by what we have called 

 to mind of vegetative power, the last one to open on the raceme 

 we may call the weakest. I now find that when seed is formed 

 there is seldom more than one legume on the branch ; and 

 that one is from the last flower on the raceme in nearly all cases. 

 In a few cases the fruitful flower is not absolutely the last ; and 

 in perhaps 2 or 3 per cent, of the cases there may be two legumes 

 on one raceme ; but the second one is far on towards the end. 



Keeping in view what has been said of the distinct forms of 

 vital force, I would say that only when the reproductive has 

 gained some advantage over the vegetative force is seed assured. 



I submit these facts as proving that the failure of the Wistaria 

 to produce seeds under cultivation has no reference to questions 

 of pollinization by either direct insect or other aid, but that it 

 is a question of harmonious relationship between the two nutri- 

 tive powers. 





