454 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1892. 



and significance of these masses can be arrived at only after a more 

 careful investigation than I have been able to make so far. This 

 is reserved for some future time. 



If it can be taken for granted then that the flowers of Monarda 

 fatulosa present the phenomenon of close fertilization in the bud, 

 the question naturally arises, why should the flowers expand, 

 protrude the stamens, and finally the style? This question must as 

 yet remain unanswered. In case of the Fumariacece, where, with 

 the exception of Hypecoum, according to Hildebrand,^ close fertili- 

 zation is unavoidable, the anthers shrivel up as soon as they have 

 deposited their pollen on the stigma, while in the case of Monarda 

 fistulosa they become exserted after they have deposited some of their 

 pollen on the style, and remain so exserted for a certain period 

 of time. The same is true of the style. This seems particularly 

 strange in view of the fact that the style usually wilts very shortly 

 after fertilization is accomplished, instead of showing the phenomena 

 of growth and expansion here witnessed. But another observation of 

 Hildebrand's should here be mentioned. In his experiments on 

 Esclioltzia californica he noticed that in case of fertilization with 

 the pollen from another flower, the petals soon fell offhand the style 

 quickly wilted, while in case of fertilization with the pollen from 

 the same flower, the petals dropped at a much later period, and 

 the style remained fresh much longer.^ 



The above observations on Monarda fistulosa were made in 

 November ; as the time of blooming of this plant extends over 

 a long period, it is possible that it may vary in its method 

 of fertilization at difl^erent times of the year. The species, accord- 

 ing to Gray, is extremely variable. It is represented in addition to the 

 type by well marked forms of var. rubra Gray, var. media Gray, 

 var. mollis Benth. The chief differences being in the flower, inter- 

 esting variations in the methods of fertilization may be looked for.. 



T. Hildebrand. Uber die Bestanbungs vorichtungen bei den Fumariaceen. 

 Pringslieim's Jahrb. fiir wissen. Bot., VII, Band, p. 455. 



^Uber die Bestanbungs vorichtungen bei den Fumariaceen Pringsh.'s Jalirb. 

 fUr wis. Botanik, Bd. VII, 18(59-1870, p. 46f>. 



