302 



GYNO-DICECIOUS PLANTS. 



CHAP. VII. 



female plant were to those from the hermaphrodite 

 as 100 to 56 in weight. If the relative weight of 

 the seeds from an equal number of flower-heads from 

 the two forms be compared, the ratio is as 100 for the 

 female to 45 for the hermaphrodite form. 



Thymus vulgaris. The common garden thyme re- 

 sembles in almost every respect T. serpyllum. The 

 same slight differences between the stigmas of the 

 two forms could be perceived. In the females the 

 stamens are not generally quite so much reduced as 

 in the same form of T. serpyllum. In some specimens 

 sent me from Mentone by Mr. Moggridge, together 

 with the accompanying sketches, the anthers of the 



Hermaphrodite. Females. 



THTTSIUS VULGARIS (magnified). 



female, though small, were well formed, but they con- 

 tained very little pollen, and not a single sound grain 

 could be detected. Eighteen seedlings were raised 

 from purchased seed, sown in the same small bed ; 

 and these consisted of seven hermaphrodites and 

 eleven females. They were left freely exposed to 

 the visits of bees, and no doubt every female flower 

 was fertilised ; for on placing under the micro- 

 scope a large number of stigmas from female plants. 



