SOME REMARKS ON THE FERTILIZATION OF THE 

 GENUS GOODENIA. 



By E. Haviland. 



On perusing the Paper by Mr. Hamilton on the genus Goodenia 

 read at our last Meeting, I was much surprised to find, that wliile 

 admitting the correctness of my own conclusion, that Goodenia ovata 

 was cross-fertilized by the aid of insects, he claims that G. hederacea 

 is self-fertilised. I mentioned in my former paper on this genus 

 (in Society's Proceedings, June 1884) that, -'there could be little 

 doubt, that the whole genus was fertilized by the aid of insects." 

 Indeed it is difficult to imagine that plants of the same genus can 

 diifer in so important a feature as their mode of fertilization ; unless 

 it be in some partly or wholly cleistogamous plants, as in Myrsine 

 variabilis ; where not only in the same genus, but in the same 

 species, one tree may be found with the whole of its flowers quite 

 . closed until self-fertilization has been effected ; and yet another 

 ■with a portion, only, of its flowers closed, while the remainder open 

 in the usual way and expose themselves to cross-fertilisation ; but 

 the relative position of the organs of fertilisation is similar in 

 both cases, and the opening or not opening in this genus I consider 

 to be due to some mechanical condition, which, whether belonging 

 to the individual plant, or accidental, requires investigation. Be 

 this as it may, however ; to all intents and purposes, the closed 

 flowers, doomed to self-fertilisation, are cleistogamous, while the 

 others are not. 



Mr. Hamilton, in referring to my statement, that in Goodenia 

 ovata, a mere touch will open the division of the upper lobe of the 

 corolla, and thus admit the approach of an insect to the stigma ; 

 states his inability to open the back lobe of the corolla of G, 

 hederacea, even with his fingers, camel hair pencil or other blunt 

 article ; unless a considerable amount of force is used. In my 



