AUTOGAMY BY LENGTHENING OF ST.\M 



in which this is observed to occur: the Moschatel (A do. : itflliv>i 



of the species of the Knawel (Scleranthus), Pcederota Bonarota, of wide dis- 

 tribution in the Southern Alps, the curious Aponogeton distachyon, native to 

 South Africa, and a large number of Cruciferse, Saxifragacerc, Willow-herbs, 

 Oeraniacese, Convolvulacese, and Caryophyllacese. 



Of the large family of the CruciferaB we may mention Arabis coerulea, 

 Braya alpina, Gardamine alpina, and Rhizobotrya alpina, all of which are small - 

 flowered species growing in the upland hollows of high mountains, and in addition 

 the annual or biennial species named Lepidium campestre, L. sativum, Sisym- 

 brium Alliaria, S. Thalianum, Thlaspi alliaceum and Thlaspi arvense. In these 

 plants the stigma is sessile on the ovary in the shape of a small round cushion, 

 which becomes visible the moment the imbricate petals of the bud begin to 

 move apart. At this period only cross-pollination can take place, as all the 

 anthers in the flower itself are still closed; but the four long stamens now grow 

 up along the wall of the ovary until the anthers are exactly on the same level as 

 the stigma. The anthers have dehisced by that time, and their pollen cannot but 

 be deposited on the receptive cells at the periphery of the stigmatic cushion. 

 Another observation which has been repeatedly confirmed, is that only one of the 

 four anthers parts with its pollen to the adjacent stigma, while the rest, though 

 quite close to the stigma, are not in immediate contact with it. The pollen of 

 these three anthers is apparently placed there so that it may be carried off by 

 the small flies which visit these cruciferous plants and transferred by them to 



younger blossoms. 



The Saxifrages (e.g. Saxifraga androsacea) here in question have two linear 

 or oblong stigmas. After the anthers are raised, the pollen is usually brushed off 

 them on to the sides of the stigma near its base. But here again it is note- 

 worthy that for the most part only one of the five anthers devotes its pollen t 

 the process of autogamy, whilst the others remain a little below the 

 do not come into contact with them. 



In a number of small-flowered Willow-herbs (EpUobium collinum, E. monta 

 E. parvifiorum, &c.) the stigma is composed of four thickish divergent 

 arranged in a cross with four angles between them. Upon the first part. 

 petals which always happens early in the morning, the anthers may 

 underneath the mature cruciform stigma, but in the course of that very 

 filiform filaments grow to a sufficient length to place the anthers m the n 

 andes of the cross Meanwhile, dehiscence has taken place, and by the even., 

 "tefir t day autogamy ensue, During the night the petals close up, and 



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