CHAP. VI. CYCLAMEN PERSICUM. 215 



fertilised. This was shown in several ways, by the earlier 

 germination of the crossed seeds, by the more rapid growth of 

 the seedlings whilst quite young, by the earlier flowering of the 

 mature plants, as well as by the greater height which they 

 ultimately attained. The superiority of the crossed plants was 

 shown still more plainly when the two lots were weighed ; the 

 weight of the crossed plants to that of the self-fertilised in the 

 two crowded pots being as 100 to 37. Better evidence could 

 hardly be desired of the immense advantage derived from a 

 cross with afresh stock. 



XXVI. PBIMULAOELEL CYCLAMEN PERBICUM.* 



Ten flowers crossed with pollen from plants known to be 

 distinct seedlings, yielded nine capsules, containing on an 

 average 34 '2 seeds, with a maximum of seventy-seven in one. 

 Ten flowers self-fertilised yielded eight capsules, containing on 

 an average only 13 1 seeds, with a maximum of twenty-five in one. 

 This gives a ratio of 100 to 38 for the average number of seeds 

 per capsule for the crossed and self-fertilised .flowers. The 

 flowers hang downwards, and as the stigmas stand close beneath 

 the anthers, it might have been expected that pollen would, 

 have fallen on them, and that they would have been spontaneously 

 self- fertilised ; but these covered-up plants did not produce a 

 single capsule. On some other occasions uncovered plants in 

 the same greenhouse produced plenty of capsules, and I suppose 

 that the flowers had been visited by bees, which could hardly 

 fail to carry pollen from plant to plant. 



The seeds obtained in the manner just described were placed 

 on sand, and after germinating were planted in pairs, three 

 crossed and three self-fertilised plants on the opposite sides of 

 four pots. When the leaves were 2 or 3 inches in length, 

 including the foot-stalks, the seedlings on both sides were 

 equal. In the course of a month or two the crossed plants began 

 to show a slight superiority over the self-fertilised, which 

 steadily increased ; and the crossed flowered in all four pots some 

 weeks before, and much more profusely than the self-fertilised. 

 The two tallest flower-stems on the crossed plants in each pot 

 were now measured, and the average height of the eight stems 



* Cyclamen repandum, accord- p. 150), is proterandrous, and this 

 ingtoLecoq ('Geographic Botan- I believe to be the case with C. 

 ipue de 1'Europe,' torn. viii. 1858, persieum. 



