1883.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA, 51 



racemes of the Wistaria which had produced seed-vessels, some 

 forty or fifty flowers, on the average, faded before one produced 

 seed. 



These observations on Stapelia were of a similar chai'acter. 

 The axillary buds, in the normal condition of the plant, resulted 

 in branches only, the flowers proceeding only from the weaker 

 lateral accessory ones. But when the vegetative powers of the 

 plant are weakened, the axillary buds become flowering ones. 

 The rarity with which seed-vessels are produced by the Stapelia 

 under cultivation, he thought, might possibly be traced to some 

 cause relating to nutrition, rather than to matters connected with 

 pollination. 



The observations were made solely on these wintei'-growing 

 plants, as illustrated by the specimens exhibited ; how far they 

 might be paralleled by open air growth during the summer, the 

 speaker could not say. 



The following paper was ordered to be printed : — 



