326 Schively — Contributions to the Life History of 



well-developed anther, found in this kind of flower, is 

 much magnified. 



The rapidity with which these flowers pass into fruit is 

 quite startling. One must examine a very small bud to 

 ascertain that fertilization takes place early, that the anthers 

 do not dehisce, but send forth numerous pollen tubes to- 

 ward the stigma. The anthers then shrivel, the ovary 

 presses out of the calyx and within a few days a good sized 

 legume has developed. 



The study of these microscopic flowers has been rewarded 

 by the discovery of a beautiful series of transitions in the 

 shape, size and structure of the style and stigma. This is 

 probably a suitable place in which to allude to them, 

 although it may be anticipating slightly. The green 

 aerial flowers without doubt are reduced purple forms. The 

 styles and stigmas, shown in the nine drawings (Plates XXX, 

 XXXI) are enlarged in the same proportion. In each form 

 represented here, pollen tubes were seen passing toward 

 the stigma, if not already in contact with it, and there is 

 no doubt that the series figured in these Plates represents 

 a set of mature organs. 



Fig. 1 (Plate XXX) belongs to a terrestrial flower, and 

 is yet to be described, but is here mentioned to show a very 

 rudimentary condition. Fig. 2 is occasionally found in the 

 green aerial, but belongs especially to the underground form. 

 In Figs. 3-7 inclusive, green aerial styles only are represent- 

 ed. The curving and extension downward is marked, but in 

 Figs. 3, 4, 5, there is no indication of a capitate stigma. 

 Along the inner surface, just beyond the rounded apex of 

 some of these, are seen, by careful focusing, thickened areas 

 where the cells appear different from those of neighboring 

 parts. Here is probably the stigmatic surface. Although 

 there is a great difference in the aspect of Figs. 6 and 7, 

 we have present the brush of hairs, still however, appressed. 

 Figs. 8 and 9 have previously been mentioned ; they be- 

 long to the purple flower and complete the series drawn. 

 The immature specimen in Fig. 8 bears a striking resem- 



