158 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
wardly, often bending up suddenly at the outer end until at 90 degrees or 
more to the general direction, thus bringing the flower into a more or 
less erect position. The flowers are scentless. The bracts are ? in. long, 
4 in. broad, cordate-lanceolate, auricled, with either one or two glandular 
teeth at the base. 
The sepals in the fully open flower (fig. 74) fall far back. They are 
soft in texture, the upper side white, slightly tinged with light green, the 
under side all green, or with one or both margins white; bearing scimitar- 
shaped processes, arising ¢ in. from the end, the longest (4 to ,% in.), 
occurring on the lowest sepals. 
The petals are white, thin, 1 in. long, about } in. wide, greatly reclinate 
in the open flower. In the corona the outer faucial rays (fig. 74, a) are in 
two whorls, the external rays, about sixty-five in number, 3 in. long, pure 
white and bent downwards; the internal rays, about 3 in. long, pure white, 
capitate, also curving downwards, and often intermingling with the 
external ones. 
The second faucial series (fig. 74, 6) consists of two or three whorls 
of extremely fine, white, capitate threads, ,°, in. long, the innermost 
nearly erect, and the outer ones radiating outwards. 
The inner or median series (fig. 74, c) forms a membranous funnel- 
shaped tube narrowing upwards, the upper edge cut up into an irregular 
white fringe, the minute clavate branches of which project inwards and 
approach the fringed edge of the cupulate collar of the gonophore. 
The incurved annular ridge in the tube of the flower is similar to 
that already described in other Passion-flowers. 
The gonophore is broad at the base, and a short distance up it bears 
a fringed cupulate outgrowth which is divided into five parts by incisions 
of the margin. The shaft above narrows gradually upwards, its colour 
greenish-white. 
The filaments are light green, the anthers } in. long, the pollen deep 
yellow, very copious. . 
The ovary is deep glaucous green, the styles light green, } in. long; 
the stigmata very pale bluish-green. 
All the earliest flowers to open in 1899, to the number of at least six, 
on a strong plant, bore a four-rayed pistil. Afterwards the normal 
three-rayed form appeared, and became gradually more numerously 
represented than the former, as is shown in the subjoined table :— 
| June 10th 12th | 13th | 16th 16th 17th| 19th) 2let 22nd 23rd Aug. 7th 
Four-rayed pistils . | Ais) Ae OBO SABE RE LG Bo) Dace beg 8 
Three-rayed pistils . | Set BAe libs eSyiedea, PAL 4 DS alk 24 
Many flowers are self-fertilised. The stigmatic rays, erect in the bud, 
become depressed in the open flower, and the side of one of the stigmata 
comes in contact with the edge of the adjacent anther, and thus receives 
pollen sufficient to effect complete fertilisation. When there are four rays, 
two of them occasionally receive pollen in this way. On August 8, 1899, 
thirty-eight self-set fruits of all sizes were counted on one large plant. 
Pollen of one flower when applied to another is also quite effectual. 
The fruit ripens in ten to twelve weeks after fertilisation. Good 
