CHAP. V. HETEKOSTYLED TRIMORPHIC PLANTS. 199 



with not one mid-styled. These twelve plants never 

 attained quite their full and proper height, but by no 

 means deserved to be called dwarfs. The anthers in 

 some of the flowers were contabescent. One plant was 

 remarkable from all the longer stamens in every flower 

 and from many of the shorter ones having their 

 anthers in this condition. The pollen of four other 

 plants, in which none of the anthers were contabe- 

 scent, was examined; in one a moderate number of 

 grains were minute and shrivelled, but in the other 

 three they appeared perfectly sound. With respect to 

 the power of producing seed, five plants (Nos. 21 to 

 25) were observed : one yielded scarcely more than 

 half the normal number; a second was slightly infer- 

 tile ; but the three others actually produced a larger 

 average number of seeds, with a higher maximum, 

 than the standard. In my concluding remarks I shall 

 recur to this fact, which at first appears inexplicable. 



Plant 21. This short-styled plant, freely and legitimately 

 fertilised during 1865 by illegitimate plants, descended from, 

 self-fertilised long-, mid- and short-styled parents, yielded an 

 average from ten capsules of 43 seeds, with a maximum of 63 

 and a minimum of 26 : hence this plant, which was the one 

 with all its longer and many of its shorter stamens contabescent, 

 produced only 52 per cent, of the proper number of seeds. 



Plant 22. This short-styled plant produced perfectly sound 

 pollen, as viewed under the microscope. During 1866 it was 

 freely and legitimately fertilised by other illegitimate plants 

 belonging to the present and the following class, both of which 

 include many highly fertile plants. Under these circumstances 

 it yielded from eight capsules an average of 100 '5 seeds, with 

 a maximum of 123 and a minimum of 86 ; so that it produccu 

 121 per cent, of seeds in comparison with the normal standard. 

 During 1864 it was allowed to be freely and legitimately ferti- 

 lised by legitimate and illegitimate plants, and yielded an 

 average, from eight capsules, of 104 '2 seeds, with a maximum 

 of 125 and a minimum of 90; consequently it exceeded the 

 normal standard, producing 125 per cent, of seeds. In this 

 14 



