566 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION D. 
No. 14.—NOTES ON THE FERTILISATION OF SOME 
NORTH AUSTRALIAN PLANTS. 
By N. Hotz. 
(Read Tuesday, January 11, 1898.) 
BEFORE entering upon the description of the mode of fertilisation 
of a few Australian wild flowers, I think it well to state the 
standpoint from which I pursue my inquiries. I hold it to be a 
fundamental principle that among all the different species of any 
one genus there will be found of necessity a strong family like- 
ness in the mode of fertilisation, modified from the type in what- 
ever degree to serve some particular need. Just as there is a 
resemblance in the flower among the species of any one genus, so 
will there be in the mode of fertilisation and in the modification 
of organs to that end. And this indeed is only what can be 
expected on the theory of descent from an ancestor common to 
them all. Thus the sensitive column with the fusion of stigma 
and stamens common to the different species of Stylidium can 
only be explained as being derived from an ancient form, the 
progenitor of all the present day species, and if these are examined 
in that light and the mode of fertilisation described in its variation 
from the type, or what may be considered as such, the interest and 
usefulness of the inquiry will be much enhanced. Holding the 
views I do, I regret that in this paper I am only able to describe 
a few isolated cases among the genera examined by me. 
GREVILLEA CHRYSODENDRON, R. Brown. 
The showy flowers of this species are closely packed into the 
form of a brush, and abound in nectar. Before maturity the long 
pistil is curved so that the stigmatic point is inserted between the 
anthers at its foot. At maturity the pistil becomes erect, bearing 
on its head the pollen deposited there by the anthers, The tree 
is visited by a small bird for the nectar in the flowers, and the 
pollen is taken from tree to tree on its breast and head, which 
come into contact with the stigmas in probing for the nectar. 
Cross-fertilisation, therefore, is facilitated, and the existence of the 
provision for the pollen being deposited naturally on each stigma 
would lead one to expect that in the ancestral form this was to 
insure fertilisation should the flower not receive pollen from else- 
where. However, in the species under notice, the flowers appear 
to be incapable of fertilisation with their own pollen. 
