Fecundation in Orchidee and Asclepiadee. 739 
Additional Observations on the Mode of Fecundation in Orchidee. 
Read June 5, 1832. 
Tue following additions to the Paper, which was communicated 
to the Society in November last, on the Sexual Organs and 
Mode of Fecundation in Orchidez and Asclepiadew, relate 
entirely to the former family. 
In the essay itself I had ascertained from the examination of 
a considerable number of species belonging to different tribes 
of Orchidex, that in the expanded flower of this family, how- 
ever long it had remained in that state, no appearance what- 
ever existed of those tubes which form the mucous cords, either 
in the tissue of the stigma or in the cavity of the ovarium, 
anterior to the application of the pollen to the stigma ; and 
that in all cases where pollen had been applied to that organ 
and enlargement of the ovarium had followed, the mucous cords 
were to be found. 
From these facts I had concluded that the tubes forming the 
cords were entirely and directly produced from the grains of 
pollen; and hence I accounted for the cohesion of the pollen 
into masses, and its frequent application in that state to the 
stigma. | 
Some cases, however, in which a few lobules or even grains 
of pollen only were observed on the stigmata of impregnated 
flowers, had led me to express myself doubtfully on this point. 
And since my paper was read, I have had opportunities of 
making several observations and experiments which prove that 
the application of a very small portion of a pollen mass to the 
stigma is sufficient for the production of mucous cords of the 
ordinary size in the cavity of the ovarium. x 
y 
