Miscellaneous. 835 



0)1 the Floral Glands of Parnassia palustris ; new Pliysiological 

 Functions. By M, E. Heckel. 



The beautiful floral glands whicli are admired by all observers in 

 Parnassia palustris have long attracted the attention of physiolo- 

 gists from the point of view of their functions. From Conrad 

 Sprengel to the present day most authors have thought that these 

 singular organs play directly or indirectly an important part in the 

 act of fecundation. Having had to observe this flower with refer- 

 ence to the staminal movement, and with the view of establishing, 

 by resuming the study of this phenomenon*, a relation between the 

 foliar and floral cycles, I was led, in order to utilize my many hours 

 of observation, to divide my attention between the male organs and 

 the glands in their neighbourhood. I observed them on the spot and 

 under the most natural condition, during a residence in the environs 

 of Murat (Cantal), at the end of August and the beginning of Sep- 

 tember. 



The most important fact which struck me at the outset, and the 

 observation of which has led me to doubt the reality of the part 

 ascribed to the floral glands when they are regarded as destined to 

 attract tho insects which are the agents of fecundation, is the follow- 

 ing : — The product of secretion, which is always limpid, and 

 does not contain the j^ollen fallen from the e.vtrorse anthers, far from 

 being comparable to that of most nectaries, is not saccharine, has 

 no peculiar odour, is sticky, and shows an acid reaction with litmus 

 paper. A very simple experiment showed me that these glands are 

 not indispensable to fecundation, and that, notwithstanding the de- 

 fective arraugment of the anthers, this act is accomplished normally 

 when the floral glands have been removed from the bud before arri- 

 ving at their full development ; lastly, a capital fact results from 

 prolonged obsei-vation : — I have seen no insect penetrate into the 

 perfect flowers except a few little Diptera, which, being perhaps 

 attracted by the product of secretion of the glands forming a barrier 

 round the androecium, are immediately stuck fast by this viscous 

 liquid. As in the Droserce I have remarked that, under the influence 

 of the irritation produced by the presence of the insects, the liquid 

 became more abundant ; the animal soon died, and was broken up 

 into its constituent parts. In order to appreciate better the action 

 of this liquid, I applied to the largest of these glands very small 

 pieces of raw flesh, which were at last dissolved, and disappeared, in 

 the same way as in the case of the leaves of Pinguicula vidgaris. 

 Would the fact which I here indicate, and which would lead me to 

 see in the floral glands of Parnassia jialnstris a carnivorous organ, 

 be an exception in the life of the plant ? Must we see in it evidence 

 of ancient habits which at a certain epoch characterized a whole 

 series of plants which are unknown to us, and of which the Parnassia 

 would only be an isolated term ? It is difficult to reply, to such 



* It has alreadv been verv carefully observed bv M. A. Gris (Comptes 

 Rendiis, tome Ixv'ii. p. 912, 1868). 



