170 The Botanical Gazette. [April, 
assumes an erect position while the stamens with the petals spread 
outward and form the inverted cone described above. The anthers 
do not open until about dusk, when every thing is ready for the wel- 
come visitors. These are attracted by a large drop of delicious nectar 
lodged between the bases of the petals and the pistil, on the torus. 
The repast is advertised by the four bright purplish-pink petals which 
stand just above it. These remain open the whole night, but as the 
sun rises the following morning their bright color begins to fade, and 
they with the stamens commence to droop, by the end of thirty-six 
hours they are ready to drop. : 
The whole plant is covered with a glandular pubescence and gives 
off a rank disagreeable odor; while the flower alone has a slight 
pleasant balsamic odor. 
Its principal visitors are the various species ot humming-bird moths, 
humming-birds, honey bees and a number of wasps. The first and 
second of these appear to be the most beneficial, and are the most 
frequent visitors. In the act of taking honey both usually poise on 
their wings before the flower; in doing so the circle of motion formed 
by the outer points of the wings is just inside of the inverted cone 
formed by the six stamens and four petals. The pollen is thus scat- 
tered in all directions and thrown on the stigmas which are just ready 
to be fertilized. 
Another interesting phenomenon observed was that as the cool 
nights of autumn came on the stamens grew shorter and finally before 
they were killed by frost the anthers were nearly sessile, while the 
pistils continued to be either long or short as during the summer. 
Iam unable to give a satisfactory explanation of the regular inter- 
ruptions of the spikes. At first I thought it was due to wet and dry 
periods, but further observation has contradicted this theory. Besides 
the various spikes on the same plant are frequently in opposite stages, 
some bearing short abortive pistils in their flowers, while other spikes 
are producing long and fertile forms.—J. Scuneck, M?. Carmel, Il. 
Observations on Enslenia albida.—Witrn PLare XIII.—In Ens/enia 
albida Nutt. one of the axillary buds at each node is much stronget 
and more forward than the other, and forms branches while the other 
remains almost or quite latent. At first the weaker bud can scarcely 
be seen, but it becomes more prominent later and may finally develop 
several internodes, but never makes such great growth as the stronget, 
unless injury to the terminal and other axillary bud necessitates 1ts 
further development. The more potent axillary buds form a contin- 
uous spiral, either right or left, and frequently right and left on differ- 
ent branches of a single plant. 
