414 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



be able to report any results. This year was noticeable for a 

 great dearth of pollen, all the anthers being more or less barren. 

 He awaited with interest the result of his artificial pollination. 



The Chairman said that at first thought it might possibly be a 

 case of over -elaboration. 



Mr. R. Paulson asked if Mr. Brown had cut sections to see if 

 any of the pollen grains had thrown out tubes. He preferred to 

 distinguish between the terms " pollination " and " fertilisation." 

 As is well known, there are some plants in the British flora 

 where pollination does take place, but which are infertile. As 

 an instance he would mention the lesser celandine Ranunculus 

 fizaria. Had Mr. Brown ever seen any seeds of this plant 1 It 

 might be imagined that its seeds would be very numerous ; but 

 this is not the case. It does seem that in many plants we have 

 instances of over-elaboration. He would instance orchids and 

 violets and especially with regard to violets. Violets produce 

 abundant seed, not by the attractive flowers, but by little green 

 flowers which are usually missed by the ordinary observer. 

 These little green flowers never open and the anthers shed their 

 pollen directly on to the stigmas. 



Mr. 0. E. Heath asked whether the pollen of Vinca minor had 

 been seen to form tubes. 



The Hon. Secretary suggested that the pollen might be tested 

 practically, under the microscope, in a weak solution of sugar- 

 and-water. If the grains did put out tubes, he thought it would 

 prove the possibility of fertilisation. 



Mr. Brown, replying, said that even if the pollen grains pro- 

 duced tubes in a sugar-and-water solution, it would be no 

 guarantee that they would also do so in the flower. He intended, 

 however, to examine the pollen and also to cut sections. 

 Regarding the celandine, in the South of England it seeds quite 

 freely. It is possibly a question of temperature. Not all violas 

 have cleistogamous flowers ; some usually produce seed from the 

 ordinary open flowers. 



The Hon. Secretary (Mr. James Burton) read a note on "An 

 Abnormal Form of Arachnoidiscas ornatus." He wished to draw 

 attention to the plate of Arachnoidiscus, by Beck, in Carpenter's 

 The Microscope and its Revelations, a copy of which was on the 

 table. The drawing represented the diatoms entire and still 

 attached to the seaweed on which they occurred. It showed their 



