i6o Pescott, Reproduciion of Terrestrial Orchids. [vJ^^xxxiV 



NOTES ON THE REPRODUCTION OF TERRESTRIAL 



ORCHIDS. 



By E. E. Pescott, F.L.S., F.R.H.S. 



{Read before the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, Sth Oct., TO17.) 



Lovers and students of orchidaceous plants have for years 

 spent much time and study in considering and describing the 

 structures of the reproductive organs of these plants, and their 

 labours have usually been directed in showing how that Nature 

 has specially constructed the wonderful floral organs for the 

 express purposes of pollination and fertilization. 



Thus Danvin has written his immortal work on " The 

 Fertilization of Orchids " to prove mainly two laws — first, that 

 Nature abhors self-fertilization : and second, in pursuance of 

 this law, that Nature has designed that all orchids shall be 

 cross-fertilized, in order that, by the production of seed, the 

 species may be perpetuated. Following this work, Fitzgerald, 

 who admits the inspiration of Dar\\-in, published his magnificent 

 monograph on Australian orchids, illustrating over two hundred 

 species, as well as their marvellous structure. Fitzgerald's 

 conclusions riglit through are that the continuance of most 

 species is due to and dependent upon the production of the 

 seeds. Dr. Rogers, of South Australia, who has taken up 

 Fitzgerald's work, has also published valuable papers along 

 these lines, the papers being contained in the " Transactions 

 of the Royal Society of South Australia." The more important 

 ones are entitled " A Critical Review of South Australian 

 Prasophylla " and " Mechanism of Pollination of Certain 

 Australian Orchids." In these and other papers stress is laid 

 upon pollination as the agent for the ensurance of seed pro- 

 duction. 



It is admitted that orchids are marvellously and uniquely 

 adapted for cross-pollination : it is admitted that as a result 

 orchids produce a prolific abundance of seed ; and it is also 

 admitted that Nature must have originally so designed these 

 flowers for the purposes mentioned. But it must also be 

 admitted that Nature has lamentably failed in these purposes 

 at the present time, and that all of these wonderful designs 

 are possibly but survivals of the original intention. For, while 

 Nature has given these wonderful mechanisms, and while she 

 also prolifically produces results in the form of millions of seed, 

 she rarely produces a seedling plant. Fitzgerald, a keen 

 observer, tacitly states this, for, while he differs in some respects 

 from Darwin's conclusions, and while he is certain that most 

 species are dependent upon seed for a continuance of the 

 species, he does not state anywhere that he had seen one plant 

 which he could call a seedling plant of a terrestrial orchid. He 

 refers to the " difficulty common to all orchids of inducing seed 



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