27 



in a germination chamber maintained at a temperature of 20 C. 

 for the first 18 hours and 30 C. for the remaining six hours of 

 each day. The results of a single test will be given here. They 

 are as follows: 



TABLE 1. RESULTS OF GERMINATION TESTS OF SEEDS FROM CASTRATED AND UN- 

 CASTRATED DANDELION FLOWERS. 



From the results of these tests it seems quite evident that parthen- 

 ogenesis does occur in Taraxacum officinale. This conclusion is 

 in accord with the evidence produced first by Raunkiaer and later 

 by other investigators. Also, it appears that a certain amount 

 of normal fertilization may occur if one is to base judgment upon 

 the difference in germination percentage between the seeds of check 

 plants and those of unbagged castrated flowers. The lower ger- 

 mination of seeds from bagged flowers as compared with unbagged, 

 castrated flowers may have been due to certain factors or abnormal 

 conditions resulting from bagging. 



GERMINATION OF THE SEED. 



In germination tests of dandelion seeds collected from lawns it 

 was found that some of the seeds were matured sufficiently to ger- 



