president's address. 19 



closed. Insects making their way down tlie tube, gradually 

 remove all the pollen. Then the stigma opens, exposing the 

 stigmatic surface, and pollen-laden insects are certain to deposit 

 some of it on that surface 



In the Goodeniacese, the stamens again form a ring round the 

 style, having the open indusium on a level with the base of the 

 anthers. The style grows rapidly upwards, and, aided by its 

 rim of stiff hairs, brushes out all the pollen which falls into the 

 cup. 'J'he indusium then closes tightly, after which the style 

 and indusium take up a position in the tube of the flower, so 

 that when an insect forces its way into the tube of the flower, 

 the indusium comes down on its back. Later, the enclosed 

 pollen is forced out through the hairs, which act like a sieve, by 

 the upward growtii of the stigma in the cup. Finally, the stigma 

 comes out, matures, and is ready to receive pollen. 



In the Candollacepe, the ring of stamens is no longer found; 

 they unite with the style, so that the stigma and anthers form a 

 disc on the end of a long, bent arm, which is sensitive. The 

 anthers mature tirst, and cover the stigma, which is then very 

 minute, and immature. When insects visit the flower, the arm 

 flies over and deposits pollen on their backs. When all the 

 pollen is exhausted, the anthers slirivel, and the stigma grows 

 rapidly and matures. In this stage, when visited Vjy a pollen- 

 bearing visitant, the stigma picks it up when it reflexes. 



Another family — the Proteace^e— is well worthy of attention, 

 not only because it is largely Australian, but also on account of 

 the peculiarities of the floral structure. Bentham(17) recognised 

 that the structure was significant, and drew attention to it in 

 the vain hope that local observers would investigate the subject. 

 Delpino, in the same year(io), gave some account of the mechan- 

 ism, and hazarded the opinion that, in several species, honey- 

 sucking birds are the pollinators. Hildebrand also refers to the 

 subject (9). There are several distinct types of floral mechanism. 

 In the Suborder Nucamentacea^, the flowers are simple and 

 regular, and pollination is effected both by birds and by insects. 



In Conospermum, the flowers are small, but clustered together. 

 The anthers burst open when touched, and fling the pollen on 



