252 Transactions. — Botayiy. 



developed in the larger and brighter flowered species such as R. lapjmceus, 

 than in such as R. acaulis, while in some forms of R. j^lebenis, in whicli the 

 petals are much reduced both in size and number, it shares the same fate, 

 and is neai'ly rudimentary. I believe all these species are self-fertile, but 

 as they are frequently visited by insects they will often be crossed by pollen 

 of other flowers. Specimens of R. ideheius grown by me under bell-jars, and 

 carefully excluded from the visits of insects and from currents of air, have 

 produced abundance of large and fine capsules. 



Nat. Ord. Magnoliace^. 



Drimys axillaris, the common form of pepper-tree in this part, is cer- 

 tainly not D. colorata, Kaoul, as described in the appendix to the "Hand- 

 book of the Flora of New Zealand," p. 724, but agrees completely with the 

 description of D. axillaris as given at p. 10 of that work. 



I have never been able to make out satisfactorily its mode of fertilization. 

 The flowers are hermaphrodite and quite inconspicuous, being small and 

 greenish-coloured, and almost solitary on the branches, where they occur 

 nearly hidden on the under-side. They do not seem fitted in any way for 

 insect-fertilization, and yet, from the sparingness with which they produce 

 fruit, I can hardly think them self-fertilized. They are destitute of scent 

 and honey, but produce a considerable amount of pollen. 



Nat. Ord. Ceucifee^. 



I have examined the following — Nasturtium j^alustre, Sisymbrium novm- 

 zealandioi, and Cardarnine hirsuta — and find nothing which would lead me 

 to think them only cross-fertilized. The last named is perfectly self- 

 fertile, isolated plants under bell-jars producing abundance of good seed, 

 and the same probably applies to the other New Zealand species, these 

 being all occasionally crossed by insects. 



Nat. Ord. Violarie^. 



Two species of Viola are common, viz., V.Jilicaulis and F. cimninghamii 

 but the structure of their flowers is similar. As has been already pointed 

 out,* these produce two kinds of flowers, the ordinary showy form, and 

 — later on in the season — an inconspicuous (cleistogamic) form. The 

 ordinary flowers are white, more or less streaked with blue or purple, 

 and these streaks act as guiding lines to the few insects which visit 

 the flowers, being all on the large lower petal, and converging towards 

 its base. The anthers are connate, and the contained pollen, being of a 

 rather dry or mealy consistence, falls out of the nodding flowers very 

 easily. The short spur contains a little honey, which could not be well 

 reached by an insect without disturbing the anthers ; and the stigma is 

 so placed as to be in the way of any insect entering the flower. In his 



'^ * " Trans, N". Z, Inst." Vol. XL, p. 415, 



