208 FERTILISATION OP THE GOODENIACEiE, 



the indusium, and from a consideration of the order Stylidecu in 

 connection with Brunonia, is disposed to think that it consists of 

 a series of modified stamina. 



The flowers grow in a head which bears a considerable resem- 

 blance to Scabiosa — a fact that is patent to the ordinary observer, 

 as is evidenced by its bearing the common name of " Bachelor's 

 buttons," which is also applied to Scabiosa. Indeed, Sir James 

 Smith was disposed to refer it to the order Dipsacece. The colour 

 is white, pink or pale bine. The anthers are connate as in 

 Dampiera and Leschenaultia, and are sometimes emptied in the 

 usual way by the upgrowing indusium. But in the same head of 

 flowers 1 frequently found some indusia full of pollen, and closed 

 by the accurate contact of the lips, which are destitute of the 

 hairy fringe, but thickened (Fig. 18) ; and others in which, 

 although the flower was open, the style and indusium had grown 

 up above the anthers, which were still closed and full. The 

 indusium in this case was so widely opened that the stigma could 

 be seen at the bottom. Again, in others the flowers were withered, 

 but the stigma not grown out, and the indusium was open and 

 full of pollen. A few were found with the indusia closed and 

 quite fi-ee from pollen, and the stigma not grown out (Fig. 19). 

 Others again had the stigma grown out (Fig. 20) and either plen- 

 tifully smeared with pollen or quite free from it, the styles being 

 withered, brown, and on the point of dropping off". Packed indusia 

 and outgrown stigmata were the exception ; empty indusia and 

 ungrown stigmata the rule. 



I am at a loss to account for such an anomalous condition in 

 this plant, unless it be that there is less necessity for the collecting 

 of pollen and doling it out a little at a time to visiting insects, on 

 account of the flowers being compacted into a head ; but it would 

 be necessary in that case that the stigmata should grow out freely, 

 and that is not common, so far as my expeiience goes. It may 

 perhaps be that, being a link between so many orders, the 

 characters pertaining to the Goodeniacece have not become fully 

 fixed, and that the plant is, so to speak, in a plastic condition. 



