— ee a ee oe 
1894, Notes on Richardia Africana. 243 
tive. In a young anther the connective is delicate and thin, 
making up about one-third the width of the anther. In old 
anthers it composes about two-thirds of the width, having be- 
come broad and plump as the cells decreased in size from the 
loss of their contents. All this takes place without any ap- 
preciable change in the size of the anther as a whole. The 
connective thus acts like a wedge between the cells. The 
sessile anthers being much crowded, growth of the connective 
results in a mutual pressure between the cells of one anther, 
and those of its neighbor. 
The grains of pollen are smooth walled and slippery with 
mucilage, so under the pressure readily escape through the 
small pore. While within the cell the grains are semi-trans- 
lucent but on escaping they become opaque white. The mu- 
cilage moistening their surface causes the grains to adhere 
together as they escape. Consequently the pollen is found in 
filamentous form. This is evidently with reference to trans- 
Portation by some kind of living agent. 
It 'S noticed that the summit of the anther through which 
ny discharge tube leads is transversely thickened and quite 
firm. This is for the purpose of preventing rupture of the 
Pore, and securing the discharge of pollen in the form of a fil- 
‘cht, instead of a mass as would be the case were it not for 
the precaution nature has taken. 
tig cutting off the summit of the anther the relief to pres- 
me in the immediate discharge of the pollen in the 
hiesiir cylindrical masses as large as the diameter of the 
subject “he It is seen the contents of the anther cells are 
the da toa considerable pressure, as necessary to secure 
in the arge of the pollen in the form of filaments as seen 
normal anther. 
New Albany, Ind. 
