342 Schively — Contributions to the Life History of 



Comparative Productiveness of Flowers. 



The following records show the comparative productive- 

 ness of all these flowers, as obtained from plants cultivated 

 in the green-house in pots during summer. They were 

 twenty in number and placed some distance apart. Any 

 intertwining shoots were carefully separated; but the results 

 are not absolutely accurate in the case of the number of 

 terrestrial legumes for each plant, as many which were fair- 

 sized, though still flat, were dried by the heat in the green- 

 house in the latter part of September. Many of the runners 

 had no means of hiding the flower-bearing portion, except 

 among the cinders, and it was impossible to avoid breaking 

 these from their attachment, when pots were lifted. The 

 numbers, however, will give an idea of the possibilities of 

 productiveness in the case of single plants; this could not 

 be ascertained from growth in the woods. 



The number of flowers producing terrestrial legumes is 

 not given, nearly always there were numerous tiny ones 

 which were yet undeveloped ; mature fruits only were con- 

 sidered. 



Plants were placed in position late in May and early in 

 June ; examination of results was made in the last days of 

 September. Many specimens reached a height of five feet, 

 and developed axillary shoots abundantly, some of the latter 

 being six and eight feet in length. 



Plant I. was raised from a terrestrial seed produced upon 

 a small (non-twining) plant in late winter. 



It bore 66 purple flowers resulting in 3 legumes. 



14 green aerial flowers resulting in 14 legumes. 

 7 + terrestrial flowers resulting in 7 legumes — 



2 of them large. 



Plant II. was raised from a terrestrial seed produced upon 

 a small (non-twining) plant late in the winter. 

 It bore 66 purple flowers resulting in 3 legumes. 



14 green aerial flowers resulting in 14 legumes. 

 6 + terrestrial flowers resulting in 6 legumes — 



3 of them large. 



