1924] 
HARRIS—THE INFLORESCENCE OF MANFREDA VIRGINICA 437 
and the deviation of the number of fruits from the number which 
would be expected if the number of capsules were proportional to 
the number of flowers formed throughout the entire range of 
variation of number of flowers per inflorescence. 
The requisite formula has been given (Harris, ’09a) and its 
range of applicability illustrated elsewhere (Harris, '18). 
The results are given in the second correlation column of table 
Xv. Тһе values arelow throughout. Eight are positive, while 2 
are negative in sign. Іп general the coefficients are insignificant 
in comparison with their probable errors. 
Taking these results as a whole, they indicate a slight relation- 
ship between the number of flowers per inflorescence and the 
capacity of the inflorescences for maturing their ovaries into 
fruits. Larger inflorescences mature on the average a slightly, 
but only slightly, larger proportion of their ovaries into fruits. 
Turning to the literature for comparable cases, we note that in 
Staphylea (Harris, '09 а) and in Crinum (Harris, '12 a) inflores- 
cences which produce larger numbers of flowers mature relatively 
smaller numbers of fruits. This is also the result announced by 
Reed for the lemon (Reed, 719). In Celastrus (Harris, '09) there 
is apparently no relationship between the number of flowers 
formed and the capacity of the inflorescence for maturing its 
ovaries into fruits. 
3. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF FLOWERS PER 
INFLORESCENCE AND THE POSITION OF THE FRUITS 
Тһе foregoing analysis has shown that there is little relationship 
between the size of the inflorescence and the capacity for maturing 
its ovules into seeds. | 
We now have to consider another problem regarding fruit 
formation. This is: Has the size of the inflorescence as measured 
by the number of flowers which it produces an influence upon the 
position of the fruits which develop? 
The problem of the relationship between the number of flowers 
and the position of the fruits which develop to maturity seems to 
be one of very real physiological interest. If we ignore for the 
moment the possible influence of the morphogenetic factor dis- 
cussed above (p. 434) and look at the purely nutritional one, it 
