202 POLLINATION AND CROSS-FERTILIZATION IN THE JUAR PLANT 



spikeletfe are arranged in pairs, a sessile hermaphrodite spikelet and a pedicelled 

 neuter. At the apex of the branches there are three spikelets, a sessile 

 hermaphrodite epikelet accompanied by two pedicelled neuters. These neuters 

 represent reduced male flowers and it is the custom to describe them as male 

 spikelets. In rare cases the male flowers are functional (Fig. 1), but for the 

 purpose of this note they are described with regard to their usual condition 

 and in accordance with the description in the " Flora of British India."* 



The flowers under observation opened in a fairly regular order. The 

 terminal hermaphrodite spikelet of the branch opened first and was followed 

 by succeeding flowers on the branch until 3 or 1 had opened. At the same time 

 the flowers on the adjacent and next lower branches were opening in the same 

 order, so that we thus have the flowers near the end of the upper branches 

 opening together during the same flowering period. On the second night 

 when flowering recommenced the lower flowers on the upper branches opened, 

 along with the terminal flowers on branches lower down. Flowering proceeded 

 in this manner until all the flowers had opened. Except during the flowering 

 period on the first night it is extremely difficult to follow the order of the 

 opening of the flowers, as two-thirds of the panicles may be covered with 

 flowers. 



Pollination. 



From the apex of the opening glumes the first essential part to appear 

 was the tip of the stigmas. This was seen in some cases at least 24 hours before 

 the glumes fully opened. At various hours during the night the glumes opened 

 fully. During the months of March and April, the larger number of flowers 

 opened between the hours of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m., but stray flowers opened as 

 early as 11 p.m. In June and July the flowers opened mainly between 

 3-30 A.M. and 4-30 a.m., but on rainy nights occasional flowers opened as 

 early as 8-30 p.m., and this continued till 4 p.m., the following afternoon. 



The following tables give the numbers of flowers observed to be open. 

 Table I records the number of flowers in 16 panicles on six successive nights 

 from the 24th March, 1914, the total number of flowers at each period on 

 successive nights being added together. Table II similarly records the number 

 of flowers in 6 panicles for six successive nights from the 19th August, 1915. 



» Hooker, J. D. Flora of British India, vol. VII, p. 183, 



