METHODS OF FERTILISATION. 557 
No. 13.—ON THE METHODS OF FERTILISATION OF 
SOME AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 
By Avex. G. Hamitton. 
(Read Friday, January 7, 1898.) 
MONIMIACE, 
Palmeria scandens, ¥.v.M.—<A straggling, semi-climbing, woody 
shrub. The male and female flowers are borne upon separate 
plants. It flowers in winter (May, June, and July). The males 
consist of a calyx of 4-5 connivent lobes, more often 5 than 4 
(Fig. 1). The numerous anthers are sessile (Fig. 2), the pollen 
small and minutely granular (Fig. 3). The female calyx is almost 
globular (Fig 4), with a minute orifice at the top, out of which the 
filiform stigmas (6-8) protrude (Fig. 5). The fruit, when ripe, is 
dark reddish purple, and opens raggedly, disclosing the black 
shining drupes (Fig. 6). Both male and female flowers are pale 
green, and have a strong sweet scent. They are frequented by 
small pollen-eating beetles, which are always smeared with pollen, 
and doubtless it is by their agency that the flowers are fertilised. 
A large proportion of the females do not set seed. 
VIOLACESX, 
Viola hederacea, Labill.—The plants of the genus Viola have the 
five anthers closely surrounding the ovulary, the filaments being 
widened and clasping it. There is usually a hollow spur to the 
lowermost petal, in which in some species lie two spurs from the 
lowest filaments, these last acting as honey glands, and the sac as 
a receptacle for the nectar. Some species also have a little lid 
projecting in front of the stigma, so that when an insect inserts 
its proboscis, the lid moves downwards, and allows any pollen on 
the insect’s head or thorax to reach the stigma, but as it with- 
draws the lid is closed up over the stigma, and so prevents 
autogamy (1, 2). 
In the species under notice, the flowers are white with a 
purplish tinge, the two upper petals fold over backwards. The 
lateral and lowest petals have pathfinders pointing to a small 
hollow, scarcely a spur, in the lowest petal, which is green inside. 
There are no spurs on the lower filaments. The two lateral petals 
have patches of short papille at the shoulder, to aid insects in 
clinging to the nodding flower. There is no lid to the stigma. 
The ovulary is green, but with a patch of purple on each side, of 
