CHAP. I. 



PRIMULA ELATIOR. 



33 



unions together, as judged by the proportional number 

 of flowers which when fertilised in the two methods 

 yielded capsules, the ratio is as 100 to 27; so that by 

 this standard the present species is much more sterile 

 than P. veris, when both species are illegitimately fer- 

 tilised. If we judge of the relative fertility of the two 

 kinds of unions by the average number of seeds per 



TABLE 8. 

 Primula elatior. 



* These seeds were so poor and small that they could hardly have 

 germinated. 



capsule, the ratio is as 100 to 75. But this latter 

 number is probably much too high, as many of the seeds 

 produced by the illegitimately fertilised long-styled 

 flowers were so small that they probably would not 

 have germinated, and ought not to have been counted. 

 Several long-styled and short-styled plants were pro- 

 tected from the access of insects, and must have been 



