123 



With very few exce[)tions, all avf^cados have perfect, flowers. 

 Each flower normally has two distinct periods of opening: in the 

 first opening the pistil is ready to be pollinated, and in the 

 second the pollen is being shed. There is an interval of 12, 24, 

 or 36 hours between these openings depending upon the weather 

 conditions. As is evident, such a dichogamous condition pre- 

 vents self-pollination. But the avocado goes a step further: its 

 flowers open synchronously, i. e. on one variety only one kind of 

 organ (stamen or pistil) matures at one time, e. g. the stamens in 

 the morning, the pistils in the evening, or late afternoon. This 

 prevents close-pollination. Varieties fall into two main groups 

 with respect to the daily sequence of opening. In one group 

 first-period flowers are open in the forenoon, and second-period 

 flowers are open in the afternoon. In the other group, conditions 

 are the reverse: the second-period flowers are open in the fore- 

 noon and the first-period ones are open in the afternoon. The 

 avocados are thus most decidedly adapted for cross-pollination 

 between members of these two groups, and to provide for proper 

 pollination such varieties should be interplanted in commercial 

 plantings. 



The recent studies in Florida were made in cooperation with 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry, The Florida Avocado Association, 

 and the Daiie County Farm Bureau. The flower behavior of 

 124 named varieties and seedlings has been determined with 

 special reference to the interplanting which will favor fruit 

 production. The report of this investigation will soon be 

 published in detail. 



The next paper was by Dr. H. A. Gleason, and was entitled 

 "The Lobeliaceae of South America." Specimens were shown 

 and described of South American representatives of the large and 

 important genera Burmeistera, Centropogon, and Siphocam- 

 pylus. Dr. Gleason showed how the species clearly separate 

 out into several groups depending on the character of the fruit, 

 the nature of the inflorescence, the shape of the corolla, and the 

 appendages of the two lower anthers. 



Arthur H. Graves, 



Secretary. 



