November 14, 1878. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. i 371 
which are so sensitive to barometric changes that they will 
close their petals hours before rain, but the Cinotheras stand 
almost unique among hardy plants by their opening fully only 
during the night. One explanation appears to be, that from 
greatest perfection only after sunset. Why they are so con- 
stituted as to prefer blooming during the night,is a curious 
speculation. We have many examples of flowers which open 
only in sunshine, and also of others, as Anagallis, Oxalis, c., 
\ // y 
Ly yf x 
\ \\ \\\ 
\\ \\| Vd MOY 
yj SZ, Y 
Fig. 58.—GiNOTHERA MACROCARPA. 
it the stigma is simple and not four-armed as in the most of the 
other species, and the style is much longer than the stamens ; 
hence insect agency is required for fertilisation. Accordingly 
we find the flowers of this species remain open during the day, 
the construction of the pistil they do not require insect aid to 
fertilisation, the four arms of the cruciform stigma each touch- 
ing one or more of the anthers. An exception in the case of 
the annual species CH. bistorta seems to confirm this view. In 
