HOWARD, HOWARD AND ABDUR RAHMAN. 321 



Taramira (Eruca Sativa, Lam.) 



Eruca sativa is extensively cultivated in India as a rahi oil 

 seed. Knuth* states with regard to this plant: "The flowers 

 are homogamous. The anthers dehisce introsely and are placed 

 so close to the stigma that automatic self-pollination is inevitable." 

 We venture to doubt the correctness of these statementa as applied 

 to taramira in India. In spite of a large number of trials on well- 

 grown plants at Piisa practically no setting has been obtained 

 under bag. Free-flowering plants, however, set seed freely. 



Nine single plant cultures were sown in 1909. In 1910 prac- 

 tically no two plants were alike in any culture. Crossing seems to 

 have taken place in this species in India to an extraordinary extent 

 and the crop seems to be a mass of hybrids in which self-poUination 

 appears to be very rare. 



7. Opium Poppy. 

 Several types of opium poppy {Papaver somniferum, L.) are 

 grown in India. In Bihar white flowered types occur, while in 

 Central India purple flowered kinds are cultivated. Forms with 

 entire and more or less divided petals occur, and there are 

 diflerences in the shape and size of the capsule, in the shape of 

 the leaves and in the hairiness of the stems. 



Fruwirth^ gives a detailed account of the modes of pollina- 

 tion in this species and sums up his own experiments on the sub- 

 ject as well as those of previous observers. The flowers are said to 

 be adapted both for self and cross-pollination, the receptive stigmas 

 being partly self-poflinated before the flower opens. Cross-pollin- 

 ation is effected by insects which visit the flowers to collect pollen. 

 Most observers agree that seed is set under bag, but to a less extent 

 than when the flowers are selfed and still less than when they are 

 allowed to flower freely. This has been our general experience 

 at Piisa with the Indian forms. Fruwirth states that pollinating 

 from different flowers on the same plant or from different plants 

 of the same kind gave as certain setting as free-flowering. The 



^ Knulh, 1, c. 



2 Fruwirth, Die Zitchtuii.j, BJ. 1 1, I'.iO'.i, s. 178. 



