Chap. III. VANDELLIA NUMMULARIFOLIA. 9x 



that fifteen capsules from self-fertilised cleistogarnic flowers con- 

 tained on an average sixty-four seeds, with a maximum in one 

 of eighty-seven. 



Crossed and self-fertilised seeds from the perfect flowers, and 

 other seeds from the self-fertilised cleistogarnic flowers, were sown 

 in five pots, each divided superficially into three compartments. 

 The seedlings were thinned at an early age, so that twenty 

 plants were left in each of the three divisions. The crossed plants 

 when in full flower averaged 4*3 inches, and the self-fertilised 

 plants from the perfect flowers 4 ' 27 inches in height ; or as 100 

 to 99. The self-fertilised plants from the cleistogarnic flowers 

 averaged 4*06 inches in height; so that, the crossed were in 

 height to these latter plants as 100 to 94. 



I determined to compare again the growth of plants raised 

 from crossed and self-fertilised perfect flowers, and obtained two 

 fresh lots of seeds. These were sown on opposite sides of five 

 pots, but they were not sufficiently thinned, so that they grew 

 rather crowded. "When fully grown, all those above 2 inches 

 in height were selected, all below this standard being rejected ; 

 the former consisted of forty-seven crossed and forty-one self- 

 fertilised plants ; thus a greater number of the crossed than of 

 the self-fertilised plants grew to a height of above 2 inches. Of 

 the crossed plants, the twenty-four tallest were on an average 

 3*6 inches in height; whilst the twenty-four tallest self- 

 fertilised plants were 3 ' 38 inches in average height ; or as 100 

 to 94. All these plants were then cut down close to the ground, 

 and the forty-seven crossed plants weighed 1090 3 grains, and 

 the forty-one self-fertilised plants weighed 887 4 grains. There- 

 fore an equal number of crossed and self-fertilised would have 

 been to each other in weight as 100 to 97. From these several 

 facts we may conclude that the crossed plants had some real, 

 though very slight, advantage in height and weight over the 

 self-fertilised plants, when grown in competition with one 

 another. 



The crossed plants were, however, inferior in fertility to the 

 self-fertilised. Six of the finest plants were selected out of the 

 forty-seven crossed plants, and six out of the forty-one self- 

 fertilised plants ; and the former produced 598 capsules, whilst 

 the latter or self-fertilised plants produced 752 capsules. All 

 these capsules were the product of cleistogarnic flowers, for the 

 plants did not bear during the whole of this season any perfect 

 flowers. The seeds were counted in ten cleistogarnic capsules 



