48 



Universil ij of Califontld I'uhlications in Botany [Vol. 



Whi'ii tlu' flower first opens the stout styles are erect and closely 

 pressed together. Gradually they roll back at the tips and also spread 

 apart at otlier points below, l)ut never spread apart very widely. The 

 nuirkedly i)ai)illose surface of tlie stigma is veiy undulate. This 

 probably aitls in pollination in two ways, by increasing the surface 

 area and by providing hollows and pockets in wliidi ])ollen may lodge. 



Tlie Muthei's sIkuv more (ir less tendency to curve ovei- tlie stigma, 

 sometimes foi'ining a close cone over it. rdth()U<rh in other eases 

 they are somewhat divergent. As they open introrsely self-pollination 

 is in most cases inevitable. The flowei- is larcly visiled by insects 

 (cf. Carter, 1892). 



Fiu'. 



In from three to six weeks the petals and stamens wither, but do 

 not fall. Sepals and foliage leaves persist until the fruit ripens, or 

 the leaves may perish earlier. As has already been stated, the fruit 

 ripens late in July. It varies in sliape from elongate-oval to slightly 

 spheroid, 15 to 35 mm. long by 12 to 34 mm. thick ; is terete at the base, 

 slightly six-angled above, with the persistent bases of the styles form- 

 ing three short beaks. The color varies from pale green without a 

 puiplisli tinge to red or purple. The fruit dehisces by breaking away 

 at the base and teai'ing up one side (fig. 2). The seeds are usually 

 luimerous, sometimes numbering nearly 200, are 4 iiiiii. loni;: by 2 mm. 

 thick, oval, light brown: witli fleshy white aril larger than tiie seed, 

 developed from the funiculus (fig. 2). This ai'il is greedily eaten by 

 ants (Robertson, 1897, p. 288). So far as T am aware, this is the fii-.st 

 complete description of the fruit of the western ally of T. sessile L. 



