THE DEHISCENCE OF ANTHERS BY APICAL PORES. 



BY J. ARTHUR HARRIS. 



Introduction. 



HISTORY OF THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION. 



During the summer of 1901, I became much interested 

 in the pollination of Solanum and Cassia and, assisted by 

 a student, published a paper giving the results of our inves- 



tigations. At the time of the \ 



Km* 



was fully aware of a number 



mer 



field study and 



ny 



in other genera, and, upon taking up my 

 ssouri Botanical Garden, was glad to a 



with similar forms 



work at the 



my 



Missouri 



the facil 



comparison of the floral structures of other species of 



mm 



g 



notes on 



some analogous types of flowers in other families. 



While working on 



Solanum and Cass 



I 



was im- 



pressed by the close resemblance of the floral constitution 

 of these systematically widely separated genera and by the 

 similarity of their ecological relations. My interest was 

 deepened when I observed that the same close agreement 

 in the structure and frequently in the ecology of apically 



dehiscent forms is to be found in other 



IU11 



Later, 



there came the question whether the great differentiation 



of 



Cassi 



the Melastomataceae in South 



America and the occurrence there of several smaller genera 

 with apically dehiscent anthers might be significant. Obvi- 

 ously the question could be answered only by a compara- 

 tive and statistical study of all genera and species showing 

 dehiscence by apical pores, and the collection of data for 



(167) 







