On the influence of the nectaries and other 



sugarcontaiuing tissues in tlie flower on 



the opening of tlie anthers 



BY 



DR. W. BURCK. 



The considération that the opening of the anthers is 

 preceded by a very considérable loss of water ') and that 

 with very many plants, e.g. Composifae, Papilionaceae, 

 Lobeliacme, Antirrhineae, Rh'manihacem , Fvmariaceae and 

 further with ail plants, chasmogamous as well as cleisto- 

 gamous, which fertilise in the bud, this opening takes 

 place within a closed flower and consequently cannot be 

 caused by transpiration to the air, gave rise to the ques- 

 tion whether perhaps the nectaries or other sugar-contai- 

 ning tissues in the flower, which do not secrète nectar 

 outwardly, hâve influence on the withdrawal of water from 

 the anthers. 



My surmise that also among the plants whose anthers 

 only burst after the opening of the flower, some would 



1) This loss of water amounts e.g. with Fritillaria imperialis to 

 907, of the weight of the anthers, with Oniithogalum umbellatum 

 to 867o, with Diervilla fioribunda to 877o, with Aesculus Hippocas- 

 tanum to 887„, with Pyrus japonica to 807„, with différent cultiva- 

 ted tulips 59—68%, etc. With plants whose anthers biirst in the 

 flower, the loss is smaller; the anthers and the pollen remain moist 

 then. With Oenothera Lamarckiana the loss amounts to 41 7o» 

 with Canna hybrida grandiflora to 567o, with Lathyrus latifolius 

 to 247„. 



Recueil des trav. bot. Néerl. Vol. III. 1906. 11 



