THE CANNA AND CALLA 51 



strains of purple in their heredity, but this is 

 unlikely, as I have never been able to get these 

 species to cross. 



It will appear that there is abundant oppor- 

 tunity for the making of interesting experiments 

 with the different races of callas. As to the 

 practicalities of cross-pollenizing, there are no 

 difficulties, notwithstanding the very curious 

 character of the floral envelope. The calla 

 flowers, as is well known, are very tiny, and 

 borne on the central spadix that stands like a 

 little post in the center of the leaflike spathe that 

 is ordinarily thought of as constituting the 

 flower. 



To effect cross-pollenization, it is first neces- 

 sary to amputate the spadix, removing the upper 

 portion, with the staminate flowers. 



Pollen gathered from another spadix may 

 then be dusted with a camel's-hair brush over the 

 pistillate flowers at the base of the amputated 

 spadix. Of course no attempt is made to operate 

 on the individual flowers, but the group as a 

 whole may thus readily be fertilized. 



As the pistillate and staminate flowers on any 

 given spadix ripen at different times, there is no 

 danger of self-fertilization if the operation of 

 removing the upper part of the spadix is per- 

 formed at the right time. 



