OK THE FUETILIZAT10^• Oi? LYTIIKUM SALICAItlA. IGO 



Integra, glabra, supra luciiia; nervi laterales 12-15 utrinque costaque 

 utraque pagina promiuuli ; petiolus usque poUicem fere longus, teres, 

 glaber. Amenta axiliaria, gemiuata, rarius abortu solitaria, breviter 

 (3 poll.) peduuculata, subtus nuda, supra floribus niasculis ilensissirae 

 obrlucta, fosmiueis paueis niulto majoribus iiiterniixtis. Bracteolaj 

 trigono-peltata;, minuta;, pilosulos, ciliolata3, viriiles. Floras sessilcs, 

 compaeti, viridiusculi, dein albescentes. Sepala florum masc. basi in 

 tubiim brevem coiinata, cxtus pilosula, ea flor. fcem, libera, exteriora 

 pubera, dein hirtella, interiora la;via, teneriora. Achajnium pisi majoris 

 magnitudine, stylo persistente auctum, perigonio birtello inclusuin, 

 inatiirescens contactu etiam levi elastice (ad 6 metr.) exsiliens. 



In sylvis Sumatrte; in prov. Palcmbang; inprov. Padangpropc Lurautet 

 ad littora })rope Siboga, Teljsmann, Ins. Singapora, T. Anderson, M.D. 



Nom. vernac. Kapinie. 



Synon. Artoearpus elongatus, Miq. Fl. hid. Bat. Suppl. p. 172 et-lli). 



Tab. XIII. tig. 1. Ramus florifervis magnit. nat. ; fig. 2. Flos <? et ? 

 auct. ut fig. sequent. ; fig. 3. Sepalum exter. fl. § a dorso ; fig. 4. 

 Sepal, inter, fl. J ; fig. 5. Ovarium ; fig. 6. idem, vertiealiter transsect. ; 

 fig. 7. Semen, tegmento remote. 



On the Sexual Kelations of the Three Forma of LijtJirum salicaria. 



By CiiAHLES PAitwiy, F.E.S., F.L.S., &c. 



[Read JuS^le, 1864.] 



SoiiE of the species of LytJirum offer in their manner of ferti- 

 lization a more remarkable case than can, perhaps, be found in 

 any other plant or animal. In Lythrum salicaria three plainly 

 iliiFerent forma occur.- each of these is an hermaphrodite, eacli 

 is distinct in its female organs from the other two fonns, and 

 each is furnished with two sets of stamens or males difl'ering 

 from each other in appearance and function. Altogetlicr there 

 are three females and three sets of males, aU as distinct from 

 each other as if they belonged to dificrent species ; and if smaller 

 functional differences are considered, there are five distinct sets 

 of males. Two of the three hermaphrodites must coexist, and the 

 pollen be carried by insects reciprocally from one to the other, 

 in order that either of the two shoitld be fully fertile ; but unless 

 all three forms coexist, there will be waste of two sets of stamens, 

 and the organization of the species, as a whole, will be imperfect. 

 On the other hand, when aU three hermaphrodites coexist, and 

 the pollen is carried from one to the other, the scheme is perfect ; 

 there is no waste of pollen and no false co-adaptation. In short, 

 nature has ordained a most complex marriage-arrangement, 

 namely a triple union between three hermaprodites, — each her- 



Mo. Bot. Garden, 



