Jlr. C. riarwin on the Fertilization of Orchids. 19 



and naturalized, rarely or never bear Howers, or, if they do bear 

 tiowers, tlicse never produce seed. But no one doubts that 

 it is a general law of nature that phanerogamic plants should 

 produce floirers, and tliat these flowers should produce seed. 

 When they fail to do this, we believe that such plants would 

 perform tJieir proper functions under different conditions, or 

 that they formerly did so and will do so again. On analogical 

 grounds I believe that the few orchids which do not now inter- 

 cross, either did formerly intercross (the means for effecting 

 this being still retained) or that they will do so at some 

 future period under different conditions, unless, indeed, they 

 become extinct from the evil effects of long-continued close 

 interbreedino-. 



