Chap V. 



LOBELIA EAMOSA. 



177 



with pollen from another plant, and two other capsules from 

 artificially self-fertilised flowers. The contained seeds were 

 sown on the opposite sides of four pots. Some of the crossed 

 seedlings which came up before the others had to be pulled up 

 and thrown away. Whilst the plants were very small there was 

 not much difference in height between the two lots ; but in Pot 

 III. the self-fertilised were for a time the tallest. When in full 

 flower the tallest plant on each side of each pot was measured, 

 and the result is shown in the following table. In all four 

 pots a crossed plant flowered beforo any one of its opponents. 



Table LXVIII. 

 Lobelia ramosa (First Generation). 



The four tallest crossed plants averaged 22 - 25, and the four 

 tallest self-fertilised 18*37 inches in height ; or as 100 to 82. I 

 was surprised to find that the anthers of a good many of these 

 self-fertilised plants did not cohere and did not contain any 

 pollen ; and the anthers even of a very few of the crossed plants 

 were in the same condition. Some flowers on the crossed plants 

 were again crossed, four capsules being thus obtained ; and some 

 flowers on the self-fertilised plants were again self-fertilised, 

 seven capsules being thus obtained. The seeds from both lots 

 were weighed, and it was calculated that an equal number of 

 capsules would have yielded seed in the proportion by weight of 

 100 for the crossed to 60 for the self-fertilised capsules. So that 

 the flowers on the crossed plants again crossed were much 

 more fertile than those on the self-fertilised plants again self- 

 fertilised.. 



N 



