52 FERTILISATION OF EUPOMATIA LAURINA, R Br. 



the two flowers, and found that the beetles had eaten holes in 

 many of the staminodia, and had penetrated to the heart of the 

 flowers. On the discs rested a mass of debris, excrement and 

 pollen-grains. The outer fertile stamens were untouched. The 

 edges of the stamens and staminodes were turning a rusty brown. 

 Next morning I found the two rings of stamens and staminodes 

 beneath the tree, now rusty-coloured all over, as if decaying, but 

 still emitting the characteristic scent. On this day — the 19th — 

 no flowers were open, and again a careful search failed to reveal 

 beetles anywhere on the plant. On. the 20th December four 

 flowers were open and covered with the insects, and on removing 

 the central staminodes, I found several had penetrated to the 

 disc. On the 21st almost every flower was open — some hundreds 

 in number — and in every one I examined, the beetles were present 

 on the outside, or within the staminodes — very often in both 

 positions.. As the day wore on, almost all of them disappeared, 

 having made their way into the closed interiors. On visiting the 

 tree at 9 p.m. I found that in almost all the flowers the fertile 

 stamens had moved up to the bud position (fig. 2) covering the 

 staminodes (which had also closed into the early position) closely. 

 They were almost empty of pollen. In the morning almost all 

 the previous day's, flowers had dropped, and in these, as well as 

 in the few which remained in place, the stamens were again in 

 the reflexed condition and very limp, and the staminodes in the 

 open position, but still cutting off access to the disc. One flower 

 which I had protected from beetles before the operculum dropped 

 was still open and in its place; on shaking it a cloud of pollen 

 flew out of the stamens. The dropped blossoms on the ground 

 were swarming with beetles, but there were none on the discs of 

 the flowers which had lost their stamens. Microscopic examina- 

 tion of some of the insects showed that the tarsi, antennae, and 

 the hairs with which they are covered were dusted with pollen, 

 so that any beetles making their way into the disc of a newly 

 opened flower would be likely to bring about pollination. 



Fertilisation appears to be effected by the beetles. These are 

 attracted by the strong scent of the opening flower, and in alight- 



