30 



yollow iiuthers and bright yellow poUou. I also noticed a differ- 

 ence in the size of the yellow and green pollen respectively, the 

 former measuring 1 -800th inch in length and 1-I,(j00th in breadth, 

 and the latter lOOOth inch in length and 1-1, '200th in breadth. 



1 asked for information as to Avhether it was the yellow or the 

 green pollen or both of them which served to fertilize the flowers, 

 but could learn nothing certain about it, until I happened very 

 lately to come across Darwin's work, entitled " Forms of Flowers," 

 and there, at page 137, I found a full description of the plant with 

 explanatory figures. 



I find he speaks of three forms, whicli he calls respectively, the 

 long- s; vied, the mid-styled, and the short-styled forms. Diagrams 

 of the three forms arc given at page 139. 



On comparing these with some specimens which I brought home 

 from the same dyke on the 2nd instant, I find we have these three 

 forms growing in close proximity to each other — and answering 

 exactly to the description given by Darwin — as follows : — 



Lono-styled form. — This form cin be at once recognised by the 

 leno-th of the pistil, which is (including the ovarium), fully one- 

 third longer than that of the mid-styled, and more than twice as 

 lono- as that of the short-styled form. It is so disproportionately 

 Ion"-, that it projects in the bud through the folded petals. The 

 o-lobular stigma is considerably larger than that of the other two 

 forms with the papilla on its surface generally longer. The six 

 lon"-er stamens project about two-thirds the length of the pistil, 

 and correspond in length with the former. The six shorter stamens 

 lie concealed within the Calyx ; their ends are turned up, and they 

 are o-raduatcd in length so as to form a do.uble row. The anthers 

 of these stamens are smaller than those of the longer ones. The 

 pollen is of the same yellow colour in both sets. 



Mid-styled form. — The stigma is seated between the anthers of 

 the longer and shorter stamens. The six longer stamens corres- 

 pond in length with the pistil of the long-styled form — their fila- 

 ments are coloured bright pink ; but from containing bright green 

 pollen, and from their early dehiscence, they appear emerald green. 

 Hence in general appearance these stamens are remarkably dis- 

 similar from the longer stamens of the long-styled form. The six 

 shorter stamens are enclosed within the calyx and resemble in all 

 respects the shorter stamens of the long-styled form ; both these 

 sets correspond in length with the short pistil of the short-styled 

 form The green-pollen grains of the longer stamens are to the 

 yellow pollen-grains of the shorter ones as 100 to 63. 



Short stvlcd form. — The pistil hero is very short, not one-third of 

 the lengthof that of the lorg-styltd form. It is enclosed witliin the 

 calyx, which, difierontly from that in the other two forms, does not 

 enclose auv anthers. 'J'hc six longer stamens, with their pink 

 filaments and green pollen, resemble the corresponding stamens of 



