( 392 ) 



all of them the anthers spring open in a space, saturated with water- 

 vapour. With all these plants the corolla and stamens react very 

 strongly with Fehling's solution. 



These experiments indicate that the loater is luithdrawn from the anthers 

 by an osmotic action, having its origin in the glucose-containing tissue. 



I remark here that the presence of glucose — in so far as we 

 may infer it from the precipitate of cuprous oxide after treatment 

 vv^ith Fehling's solution — in other parts of the flower than the 

 nectaries proper and especially in the corolla, is a very common 

 phenomenon (to which I hope to return later) and that it is not 

 restricted to those flowers in which stamens and corolla ha\'e coalesced. 

 There is rather question here of a quantitative difference than of a 

 special property, peculiar to these flowers. 



2. With Stellar ia media the epipetalous stamens are mostly abor- 

 tive, while of the episepalous ones only three have remained, as a 

 rule. These three stamens bear at the base on the outside, a gland, 

 secreting nectar. 



If a flower is placed in the moist chamber and one of the stamens 

 is injured with the pincers, the anthers of the uninjured stamens 

 will afterwards burst, but the other remains closed. And when loose 

 anthers from the flower are placed in the moist chamber, together 

 with an intact flower, the loose anthers remain closed, while the 

 anthers of the flower open. As well the petals as the stamens preci- 

 pitate cuprous oxide from Fehling's solution ; also the tissue at the 

 base of the sepals reacts with it. But the bursting of the anthers 

 stands in no relation to this; if the petals are removed, this has no 

 influence on the result of the just mentioned experiment. 



The experiment indicates that the water is withdrawn from tiie 

 anthers by the osmotic action, proceeding from the nectary. 



In this connection it deserves notice that the nectaries of the 

 epipetalous whorl and also those of the missing stamens of the epise- 

 palous whorl are abortive together with tlie stamens. The same is 

 observed with Ceras-tium semidecandrum L., C. erectum L. and Holo- 

 steum umbellatum L. ;- here also the nectaries of the missing stamens 

 have disappeared as a rule. 



With the Pai)ilionaceae, of which I investigated Lupiniis luteus L., 

 Lupinus grandifolius L., Lathy ras odoratns L., Lathy rus latifolius L. 

 and Vicia Faha L., the anthers are known to open already in the 

 closed flower. The petals precijntate cuprous oxide from Fehling's 

 solution, but exert no influence on the opening of tlic anthers. Flower 

 buds of Lathyrus latifolius and Lathyrus odoratus were deprived of 



