160 ON THE FERTILIZATION OF GOODENIA HEDERACEA, 



of the corolla ; and by the time the flower is withered and the 

 indusium once more projects into the tube, the cup is completely 

 protected by its closing. 



On the whole this flower seems to me to exhibit a most 

 elaborate and beautiful series of contrivances to ensui-e fertiliza- 

 tion by its own pollen ; and not the least remarkable feature is 

 the fact that the same set of organs which in Gooclenia ovata 

 prevent self-fertilization, in G. hederacea ensure it. I am struck by 

 a remark in Mr. Haviland's paper to the effect that in G. ovata 

 when the indusium is outside the corolla, a touch in the tube 

 brings it into the proper position for insect fertilization, I tried 

 the experiment in the flower under consideration, by pushing a 

 camel hair pencil, the point of my finger and various pointed and 

 blunt articles into the tube of the corolla, but in no instance 

 would the back lobe open unless a considerable amount of force 

 was used. One thing puzzled me a good deal, and does so still, 

 viz., in two young buds the anthers were shorter than the style, 

 and in this case the brushing out of the pollen could not occur ; 

 but these being only found twice in the large number of buds I 

 dissected, I am inclined to think them merely accidental malfor- 

 mation. It is a significant fact that neither full anthers nor 

 empty indusia are ever found in open flowers. 



I may say that to observe all the stages, it is necessary to 

 examine a very large number of specimens, and even then but few 

 buds will be found just at the critical point when the anthers are 

 being emptied by the elongating of the style. This leads me to 

 think that the latter stages of the process are gone through 

 rapidly. As examination and note taking in the field are irksome 

 I always collect all the flowers and buds procurable and keep them 

 in small bottles or homoeopathic medicine tubes with a piece of 

 wet lint. If then tightly corked they will keep fordaj-s and can 

 be examined at leisure. In conclusion I may be allowed to express 

 a wish that some of the other members of the Society would 

 examine this flower and see if their experience tallies with mine. 

 Dr. Woolls' mentions it asbeingfound in the County of Cumberland, 



