4 i6 NATURAL SCIENCE. Dec, 



geotropic, tending, that is, to lie in a direction at right angles to the 

 force of gravity, while the rest still retains its original negative 

 geotropic tendency. 



The flowers are markedly proterandrous. The two upper 

 stamens are the first to shed their pollen, the anthers standing before 

 the entrance to the flower. They remain in this position for about 

 twenty-four hours, and then bend back towards the interior of the flower, 

 at the same time that the anthers of the three lower stamens open, and 

 by curving of the ends of their filaments come to hold the same 

 position at the entrance. After another day these have also 

 served their turn and bend back useless towards the lower edge 

 of the flower, while the style, which has hitherto lain concealed, 

 grows out and curves into the position vacated by the stamens, the 

 stigmas spreading meanwhile. A change has also occurred in the 

 colour and scent of the blossom. While the two upper anthers are 

 functional, the corolla is still greenish and has a pungent, disagreeable 

 smell, but after the three lower anthers have opened, the colour is a 

 deep dull purple, and the scent strong and sweet. 



After the anthers have retired and the stigmas remained in 

 position for another day, the upper end of the flower-stalk bends 

 vertically downwards, and shortly after the lower portion comes to lie 

 horizontally. Both these movements result from the action of gravity. 

 Simultaneously with the latter movement, the upper portion under- 

 goes further geotropic changes of position, by which the part imme- 

 diately behind the flower comes to point vertically downwards, the piece 

 between this and the original place of bending remaining horizontal. 

 It is interesting to note that the horizontal part of the stalk has a 

 dorsiventral structure, the cortical tissue of the ventral side being more 

 strongly developed than that of the dorsal. 



These movements of the flower and its stalk are, perhaps, a 

 device for ensuring self- fertilisation where cross-fertilisation by insects 

 has failed ; they occur in any case, whether pollination has taken 

 place or not. 



Malformation of the Daisy. 

 A novel malformation in the flower-head of the common Daisy 

 is the subject of a note by Dr. Masters in the last issue of the Annals 

 of Botany (vol. vii., p. 381). The specimens were sent the summer before 

 last as a " new British plant " ; they were kept through the winter 

 and on flowering this year have reproduced the peculiarities previously 

 observed. The young flower-head was oblong, and the bracts of the 

 involucre fewer in number and less wide-spreading than usual. The 

 outer or ray-florets were of the usual colour, but only five in number ; 

 some were spreading, others erect or more or less twisted. By far the 

 most striking peculiarity, however, lay in the disc, where, instead of a 

 great number of separate corollas, was a single petaloid cup composed 



