270 The Botanical Gazette. 
Lepidoptera—Papilionidae : (10) Pieris rape L.; Hesperide. 
(11) Pholisora catullus F. 
HIBISCUS LASIOCARPUS Cav.—With the exception of a — 
single specimen of Aidiscus militaris, this is the only indi . 
genous species of Malvacez which I have found in my neigh ; 
borhood, and, as might have been expected, is the only one 
in which spontaneous self-pollination is impossible. _ It grows 
in swamps. The stalks, several of which form a cluster, rise 
from one to two metres, each stalk exposing two or three i 
large flowers at a time. z 
The flowers are white or rose-tinted, with a crimson centtt. i 
They measure from eight to ten centimetres in length, E 
expand from nine to eleven centimetres, or more. The lower — 
petals are directed horizontally; the upper are bent strongly 4 
upward like a vexillum, so as to be nearly perpendicular © a 
the lower. The column lies near the lower petals and 4 
about three centimetres from its base is provided with free 
filaments, which project upwards and sideways. On account 
of the flower being in an incipient stage of irregularity, ' 
‘column still retains some useless filaments on the lower 
whose anthers seldom touch the bees. The five large 
tate stigmas, which form a circle from nine to apie 
metres across, are advanced one or two centimetres a 
the nearest anthers, so that there is no chance of spont a 
self-pollination. 4 
When visiting the flower, bees land upon the base . 
column. The latter is bent upwards in such a pee: sucking, 
the bees touch the stigmas before they alight. A pe : 
the bees crawl out over the filaments and pti the stig: 
petals and leave the flower without again touching 
mas. ambi for mise 
After alighting upon the column, wie oe a 
which is the characteristic visitor, turns to ¢ “noth . 
and thrusts its proboscis into one nectary after : 
it reaches the narrow interval between i 
lower petals. Then it often turns back an ‘ 
boscis into the nectary on the other side. “ORNs 
ever, it fails to squeeze under the column t back 
which lies there, and it often ee 3 
nectary on the other side, and so tea 
extracting the sweets from all the paar: : 
individuals which I watched at this wor : 
‘ 
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