Notes on the Irritability of the Stigma. 



by 

 M. lYliyoshi, Rigakiishi. 



Witli Plates XXVIII— XXIX. 



It is filready known l)y the researches of Meckel* and others 

 that the hifid stigmas of certain plants, such as Martijnia, Biguonia, 

 and especially of some Scrophularinece, e.g. Miinuhis, Torenia, Gratiola, 

 are irritable to touch. But as our knowledge on the subject is still 

 scanty, it will not be superfluous here to state some of my observa- 

 tions on this subject. The plants I studied were 3[azus rvgosus, Lour., 

 var. macrantlia, Fr. et Sav., Miimdus iiepalensis, Benth.. M. sessifolms, 

 Maxim., M. 'mnschatiis, Dong. I shall give in detail only the case of 



* • Mazus rugosns, Lour., var. macrantha, Fr. et Sav. 

 (PI. XXVIIl, Fig. 1.) 



The plant belongs to Scrophnlarinfce, and may be briefly de- 

 scribed as follows : — 



A low annual. Branches prostrate, 5-40 cm. long, often r(^(^ted 

 at the nodes. Leaves exstipulate, sparingly hairy, coarsely and 

 irregularly dentate ; the radical sessile, cuneate-spathulate, 1-4 

 cm. long, 0.5-1 cm. broad ; those of the branches opposite, some- 

 times alternate, obovate, narrowed int<3 the cuneate base, smaller 

 than the radical leaves. Flowering stems, erect, more or less 



* E. Hecke] :— Du mouvement dans les stigmates bilobiés des Scrophularinéps, des Bigno- 

 niacées et des Sésamées. (Comptes rendus, t. LXXIX. 187-4. No. 12, P. 702-704) 

 ** The Japanese name of this plant is Sagigolie. 



