188 PETUNIA VIOLACEA. CHAP. VI. 



CHAPTEE VI. 



SOLANACE-iE, PRIMULACKS, PoLYGONE^, ETC. 



Petunia violacea, crossed and self-fertilised plants compared for four 

 generations Effects of a cross with a fresh stock Uniform colour 

 of the flowers on the self-fertilised plants of the fourth generation 

 Nicotiana tabacum, crossed and self-fertilised plants of equal 

 height Great effects of a cross with a distinct sub-variety on the 

 height, but not on the fertility, of the offspring Cyclamen per- 

 sicum, crossed seedlings greatly superior to the self-fertilised 

 Anagallis collina Primula veris Equal-styled variety of Primula 

 veris, fertility of, greatly increased by a cross with a fresh stock 

 Fagopyrum esculentum Beta vulgaris Canna warscewiczi, crossed 

 and self-fertilised plants of equal height Zea mays Phalaris 

 canariensis. 



XXV. SOLANACE^E. PETUNIA VIOLACEA. 



Dingy purple variety. 



THE flowers of this plant are so seldom visited during the day 

 by insects in this country, that I have never seen an instance ; 

 but my gardener, on whom I can rely, once saw some humble- 

 bees at work. Mr. Meehan says,* that in the United States 

 bees bore through the corolla for the nectar, and adds that their 

 " fertilisation is carried on by night-moths." 



In France M. Naudin, after castrating a large number of flowers 

 whilst in bud, left them exposed to the visits of insects, and 

 about a quarter produced capsules ;t but I am convinced that 

 a much larger proportion of flowers in my garden are cross- 

 fertilised by insects, for protected flowers which had their 

 own pollen placed on the stigmas never yielded nearly a full 

 complement of seed ; whilst those left uncovered produced fine 

 capsules, showing that pollen from other plants must have been 

 brought to them, probably by moths. Plants growing vigorously 

 and flowering in pots in the green-house, never yielded a single 



* 'Proc. Acad.Nat. Sc. of Phil- in Germany. So it is, as I hear 



adelphia,' Aug. 2nd. 1870, p. 90. from Mr. Boulger, with moths in 



Prof. Hildebrand also informs me England. 



that moths, especially Sphinx con- t ' Annales des Sc. Nat.' 4th 



volvuli, largely haunt the flowers series, Bot. torn. ix. cha. 5. 



