9'2 THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 



been possible to supply every requirement for attaining: 

 perfect growth, which may account for the result obtained. 

 Be that as it may it appears that the gentian is able to 

 persist in quite close quarters at first. 



This peculiarity, with the biennial habit of the plant, 

 suggests an explanation of the presence in some gentian 

 localities of the many small depauperate specimens 

 noticed, and which apparently result from overcrowding. 

 It is, of course, in the second year that the plants, when 

 thus crowded, are unable to make normal growth. Such 

 a limited area can not yield the necessary elements for the 

 building up of so many individuals. So we have the next 

 best thing, many dwarfed plants. 



As gentian seeds are very small and numerous it is 

 evident that they must be well scattered to succeed in the 

 struggle for existence. A single average sized plant is cap- 

 able of starting a plantation of these depauperates if only 

 a small fraction of the matured seed should germinate,, 

 and be able to grow. To judge by what we see this may 

 sometimes take place. It is to the well spaced and wideW 

 scattered seeds that we owe our well formed plants. 



So it likely happens that if the rival plants with which 

 the gentian has to contend in its second year are those of 

 other species, especially late starting annuals or even per- 

 ennials, the prospects for a gentian victory are good. But 

 if the contending plants are all gentians closely grouped 

 we may reasonally expect a lot of small ones or two-flow- 

 ered specimens. These may appear more or less isolated 

 but investigation will no doubt reveal others, and smaller 

 ones which may not have been able to develop flower 

 buds. 



It is also of interest, in this connection to mention the 

 means by which gentian seeds are distributed. If exam- 

 ined under a lens many blunt disk-like projections are 

 noticed covering the seed. It will be further noticed that 

 the edges of these projections are destitute of hooks, ser- 

 rations, or other devices for causing the seed to adhere to 

 passing objects. But quite to the contrary their object 



