Notes on Pollen. By Worthington G. Smith. 17 
We know no more beautiful pollen than that belonging to the 
major Conyolvulus, Ipomea purpurea, Fig. 29.  Convolvulus 
(Calystegia) soldanella is shown at Fig. 30, and Convolvulus 
arvensis at Fig.31. These three pollens, it will be seen, are very 
different from each other, and they ought undoubtedly to carry 
weight with those systematic botanists who are in doubt as to the 
natural position of the genera in the Convolvulus family. The 
Dodders (Cuscuta) are sometimes placed in the Convolvulus family, 
and the pollen of Cuscuta trifoliz, Fig. 32, is certainly the same 
in character with Fig. 31, Convolvulus arvensis. 
The different members of the Arum family furnish beautiful and 
most peculiar pollen-grains, of very diverse characters. Fig. 33 
represents the pollen of Phyllotenium mirabile, Fig. 34 that of 
Anthurium Patiniw; this latter is a most extraordinary pollen, 
marked with projecting longitudinal ribs. Fig. 35 represents that 
of Spathophyllum heliconixfolium, 36 that of Anthurium Scher- 
zerianum, and Fig. 37 that of Richardia albo-maculata. 
The pollen-grains of the Lily family are very characteristic. 
Fig. 38, Plate CLXIX., belongs to Lilium longiflorum, and is 
remarkable for its large size and its bold and beautiful reticulations. 
Fig. 39 is that of L. Californicwm, where the reticulations are 
very much smaller. Fig. 40 is that of Aloe Abyssinica, Fig. 41 
shows that of Narthectwm ossifragum, that of Fig. 42 Conval- 
laria mayalis, and Fig. 43 that of the Crown Imperial, Fritillaria 
imperialis. 
Passing on to the Violet family, the pollen of the Heartsease, 
_ Viola tricolor, is engraved at Fig. 44, and that of the Sweet 
Violet, V. odorata, at Fig. 45. Though coming under the same 
genus, and possessing many characters in common, some species of 
Viola are far removed from each other in nature; the pollens, as 
will be seen in the engraving, are very different, and any hybridiza- 
tion between the two plants last referred to would appear to be 
quite hopeless, although a sweet-scented Heartsease is certainly a 
plant to be desired. In answer to a letter from us on this subject, 
Messrs. Dicksons and Co., of Waterloo Place, Edinburgh, a firm 
noted for the production of some of the very best hybrid Violas and 
Pansies now in the market, replied to us in the following terms: 
“ We have tried to obtain a hybrid between Viola odorata and 
V. tricolor, but have never succeeded, and we never heard of any- 
one who had been more successful than ourselves.” 
Fig. 46 is the pollen of the tuberous Moschatel, Adoxwa mos- 
chatellina; Fig. 47 that of the Snowberry, Symphoricarpos par- 
viflora ; and Fig. 48 that of the Elder, Sambucus nigra. As for 
the first, it is placed in Caprifoliaceze both by Dr. Hooker and Mr. 
Bentham, in Araliacez by Prof. Babington, and in Saxifragacee by 
Linneus and Jussieu. Unfortunately, very little is to be learned 
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