1887.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 323 



CONTSIBUTIONS TO THE LIFE-HISTOEIES OF PLANTS. 

 BY THOMAS MEEHAN. 



Amplncarpcea monoica. " Flowers of two kinds those of the 

 upper many-flowered racemes perfect and petaliferous, but seldom 

 maturing fruit, those near the base of the stem on prostrate branches 

 imperfect, but usually fertile." Thus writes Torrey and Gray, and this 

 I think is usual experience. Mr. Darwin, says in "Forms of Flowers" 

 "In three of the genera (Leguminosce known to produce cleistogamic 

 flowers) namely Vicia, Amphicarpcea, and Voandesia, the cleisto- 

 gamic flowers are produced on suliterranean stems. The perfect 

 flowers of Voandesia, which is a cultivated jilant, are never said to 

 produce fruit, but we should remember how often fertility is affected 

 by cultivation." (Chap. VIII, p. 327) "Although cleistogamic 

 flowers never fail to yield a large number of seeds, yet the plants 

 bearing them usually produce perfect flowers, either simultaneously 

 or more commonly at a different period, and these are adapted for 

 or admit of cross-fertilization" (ibid p. 340). 



I had often gathered the seeds, near the ground on plants growing 

 in shaded woods and thickets, and supposed I was familiar with it. 

 In December of 1886, w'alking along the banks of the Wingohoc- 

 cing creek, which runs through my farm, I noted quantities of dry 

 legumes on dead vines that had profusely covered masses of black- 

 berry bushes. I could have gathered pounds of seed. I had never 

 seen Amphicarpcea in this condition, and was so completely off my 

 guard, that I was amazed, on a package being returned from Prof. Asa 

 Gray marked " AmphicarpKBa monoica." I decided to watch the behav- 

 ior of the plants more closely another year. 



I now find the petaliferous flowers on these plants abundantly 

 fruitful. In what may be termed the more vigorous racemes, the 

 two lowermost flowers either have no petals, or have but a small 

 vexilla projecting a little beyond the calyx. The next half dozen 

 flowers, are perfect in every respect, and are fertile. The succeed- 



