188 ME. C. DAEWTS OS THE BEXrAL HELATIOHS OE 



The last conclusion which may be deduced from the Tables, 

 even from a glance at them, is that the mid-styled form differs 

 from both the others in its much higher capacity for fertilization. 

 Not only did the twenty-four flowers fertilized by the stamens of 

 corresponding lengths, all, or all but one, yield capsules rich in 

 seed ; but of the other four illegitimate unions, that by the longer 

 stamens of the short-styled form was highly fertile, though less 

 than in the two legitimate unions, and that by the short stamens 

 of the long-styled form was fertile to a considerable degree ; the 

 two unions with this form's own pollen were sterile, but in dif- 

 ferent degrees. So that the mid-styled form, when fertilized by 

 the sis kinds of pollen, evinces five different grades of fertility. 

 By comparing compartments 3 and 6 in Table II. we learn a re- 

 markable fact, namely, that though the pollen from the short 

 stamens of the long-styled and from this form's own (mid-styled) 

 short stamens, used in these two unions, is identical in aU respects, 

 yet that its action is widely difi'erent ; in the one case above half 

 the fertilized flowers yielded capsules containing a fair number of 

 seed ; in the other case not one single capsule was produced. So, 

 again, the green, large-grained pollen from the long stamens of 

 the short-styled and from this form's own (mid-styled) long sta- 

 mens is identical in aU respects, but its action, as may be seen in 

 compartments 4 and 5, is widely different. In both these cases 

 the difference in action is bo plain that it cannot be mistaken, but 

 it can be corroborated. If we look to Table III., to the legiti- 

 mate action of the short stamens of the long- and mid-styled 

 forms on the pistil of the short-styled form, wo again see a similar 

 but slighter difference, the poUen of the short stamens of the 

 mid-styled form yielding a smaller average of seed during the 

 two years of 1862 and 1863 than that from the short stamens of 

 the long-styled form. Again, if we look to Table I., to the legi- 

 timate action of the green pollen of the two sets of long stamens, 

 we shall find exactly the same result, viz. that the pollen of the 

 long stamens of the mid-styled form yielded during both years 

 fewer seeds than that from the long stamens from the short-styled 

 form. Hence it is certain that the two kinds of pollen produced 

 by the mid-styled form are less potent than the similar pollens 

 produced by the corresponding stamens of the two other forms. 



When we see that the capsules of the mid-styled form yield 

 a considerably larger average number of seed than those of 

 the 6ther two forms, — ^ivhen we see how surely the flowers are 

 fertilized in the legitima,te unions, and how much more productive 



