178 



LOBELIA EAMOSA. 



Chap. V. 



Plants of the Second Generation. The above two lots of seeds 

 were placed on damp sand, and many of the crossed seeds 

 germinated, as on the last occasion, before the self-fertilised, and 

 were rejected. Three or fonr pairs in the same state of germina- 

 tion were planted on the opposite sides of two pots; a single 

 pair in a third pot ; and all the remaining seeds were sown crowded 

 in a fourth pot. When the seedlings were about one and a half 

 inches in height, they were equal on both sides of the three first 

 pots ; but in Pot IV., in which they grew crowded and were 

 thus exposed to severe competition, the crossed were about a 

 third taller than the self-fertilised. In this latter pot, when 

 the crossed averaged 5 inches in height, the self-fertilised were 

 about 4 inches; nor did they look nearly such fine plants. 

 In all four pots the crossed plants flowered some days before 

 the self-fertilised. When in full flower the tallest plant on each 

 side was measured ; but before this time the single crossed 

 plant in Pot III., which was taller than its antagonist, had died 

 and was not measured. So that only the tallest plant on each 

 side of three pots was measured, as in the following table : 



Table LXIX. 



Lobelia ramosa (Second Generation). 



The average height of the three tallest crossed plants is hero 

 23 "33, and that of the three tallest self-fertilised 19 inches ; or as 

 100 to 81. Besides this difference in height, the crossed plants 

 were much more vigorous and more branched than the self- 

 fertilised plants, and it is unfortunate that they were not 

 weighed. 



