i88 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



BOTANY. 



How THE Fuchsia is fertilised. — This well- 

 known flower is pendulous, and the stigmatic enlarge- 

 ment of the style is considerably below the anthers. 

 This arrangement was formerly considered to facilitate 

 the fertilisation by allowing the pollen to drop from 

 the anthers to the stigma. As a matter of fact, how- 

 ever, the stigmatic surface is below and would not be 

 affected by a shower of pollen from above. The 

 flower is fertilised by humble-bees, which alight 

 on the style and climb up over the anthers, pushing 

 their heads under the petals to reach the honey. In 

 doing this the bees' abdomen is first pressed against 

 the very viscid stigma and afterwards against the 

 anthers. From the anthers a considerable quantity of 

 pollen is gathered on the hairs of the abdomen, and 

 on visiting another flower this pollen becomes 

 attached to the stigma. Cross-fertilisation is insured 

 by the bee coming in contact with the stigma as soon 

 as she has alighted with pollen from another flower. 

 She never returns to the stigma after passing over the 

 anthers, but flies off from the upper parts of the flower. 

 At first sight the fuchsia seems to offer no special 

 facilities for cross-fertilisation, although the position 

 of the stigma demonstrated clearly that self-fertilisa- 

 tion does not occur. In company with my friends, 

 Messrs. D. Houston and W. H. Mills of the Birkbeck 

 Institution, I recently had the good fortune to see 

 several bees at work on these flowers, the details, as 

 given above, affording us much pleasure. The quan- 

 tity of pollen placed on the stigma at each visit was 

 considerable, and I should think sufficient to fertilise 

 a dozen flowers if used economically. — Edward Step, 

 Putney. 



Pansy. — As I have not seen mention made of some 

 interesting points in the structure of the flower of the 

 pansy (^Viola tricolor), I venture to point out these 

 peculiarities, induced by the statement made by Sir 

 John Lubbock in "British Wild Flowers in relation 

 to Insects," that "In Viola tricolor the form of the 

 stigma is very different from that of Viola caniua, 

 but the reason of the difference has not been 

 satisfactorily explained." Viola tricolor, unlike the 

 other members of the genus, does not produce 

 clcistogamous flowers ; some special contrivance for 

 ensuring the valuable process of cross fertilisation 

 might therefore be expected, and such is to be found. 

 The style of Viola tricolor is short, slender and curi- 

 ously bent at the base. The stigma is large, capitate, 

 and hollow with a rounded opening from the 

 lower side of which there is a projection, it is 

 bearded on both sides behind the projecting portion. 

 The entrance to the spur is completely closed by the 

 stigma with its projection and beard (in the other 

 violets the access to the spur is quite open). The pas- 

 sage to the spur consists of a channel lined with hairs. 



The membranous expansions at the anther tips do not 

 completely overlap all round as in other violets, but 

 are deficient at the part overhanging the hair-lined 

 channel. The use of these arrangements is evident. 

 When the anthers ripen and discharge their pollen, 

 the pollen falls through the orifice at the anther tips 

 and is received and retained in the hair-lined channel, 

 it is prevented from leaving the flower or reaching the 

 stigmatic surface (which is on the interior of the 

 stigma) by means of the hairs and the position of the 

 stigma already described. A powerful insect like the 

 bee can elevate the stigma, which operation is 

 rendered easy by the bend of the slender base of the 

 style, and thus gain access to the spur where the 

 honey is secreted before reaching it. The bee must 

 push its proboscis through the channel with its store 

 of pollen, some of which will adhere and be carried 

 away. On visiting the next pansy, the bee, in its 

 endeavours to reach the honey, will inevitably insert 

 its proboscis with the adherent pollen into the interior 

 of the stigma, through the opening which lies directly 

 in the way. — Thomas W. Ogilvie. 



Ladies'-traces. — I believe ladies'-traces, in the 

 olden time, were white silken cords, with which the 

 fairer sex drew together parts of their dresses. 

 Tresses I understand to be hair flowing naturally, in 

 waves or ringlets, and not "braided hair." This, 

 seems to be the idea of classical writers. Moore 

 says : — 



" The young village maid, when with flowers she dresses 

 Her long flowing hair for some festival day. 

 Will think of thy fate, till, neglecting her tresses. 

 She mournfully turns from her mirror away." 



And, again, Shelley. 



" Her golden tresses shade 

 Her bobom's stainless pride," 



Could hardly be said of "braided hair." Unless 

 Mr. Kitton's view (p. 89) is supported by direct evi- 

 dence, I submit that ladies'-traces is much more 

 likely to have been the early common name of Neottia 

 spiralis, than "lady's tresses." — Thomas Meehan, 

 Gcrmantoum, Philadelphia, United States. 



Occurrence of Polypodium calcareum in 

 Sussex. — On the 4th of June, I had the pleasure of 

 seeing this fern in some quantity growing on the 

 northern slope of one of the Sussex Downs, where it 

 had been accidentally discovered a few weeks before 

 by a rabbit shooter, who, missing his footing, rolled 

 down amongst it. So far as I know, it has not yet 

 been recorded in Sussex. Wiltshire alone has hither- 

 to represented it in the Channel district. It appeared 

 to be confined to a very limited area, distant nearly 

 two miles from any habitation. For obvious reasons 

 its precise locality is not here mentioned. — F. Pf. 

 Arnold. 



" Revue de Botanique " is the title of the new 

 monthly publication of the French Botanical Society 

 just issued. 



