G. M. Thomson. — On the Fertilization of Flowering Plants. 275 



Pentachondra 2}it7mla is somewhat similarly furnished with a densely- 

 bearded corolla-tube, and is probably fertilized in the same manner. In the 

 summer of 1876 I had a plant of this in flower under glass, and, though it 

 produced numerous blossoms, no fruit resulted. In each case, after the 

 gradual withering of the corolla, it was found that the ovary had shrivelled 



Dracophyllum longifolium has very conspicuous fragrant clusters of flowers. 

 These contain a great deal of honey, and are therefore no doubt visited by 

 insects. They are hermaphrodite, but I have not seen any special contrivance 

 to render self-fertilization impossible. Birds occasionally visit the flowers. 



Nat. Ord. Myksine^. 



The only New Zealand genus is Myrsine, of which two species — M. 

 urvillei and M. divaricata — are common in the neighbourhood of Dunedin. 

 I have examined the flowers of the former, and find them mostly dioecious. 

 The male flowers have an im^Derfect ovary, while the female flowers have 

 stamens with small anthers, which, however, contain no pollen. This is 

 morphologically so slight a remove from hermaphroditism that I think the 

 latter must frequently occur. In all cases I have noticed they have, how- 

 ever, been functionally dioecious. The flowers are produced in great num- 

 bers, are small and rather inconspicuous, have no scent and no honey, while 

 their poUen is light and very incoherent, all of which considerations lead me 

 to consider them as always anemophilous. 



Nat. Ord. Apocyne^. 



The only plant of this order found here — Parsonia alhiflora — has puzzled 

 me a good deal. It is a stragghug climber producing panicles of pendulous 

 white flowers. These have a funnel-shaped corolla, the lobes of which bend 

 back. The stamens are syngenesious — that is, their anthers are united 

 together. These anthers are arrow-shai^ed, with very acute apices, and 

 when joined together they form a sharply-pointed conical cap (not unlike 

 some forms of metal drills) which fits closely on the summit of the stigma. 

 Of each anther, one cell only produces poUen, which seems to me to be 

 always applied du'ectly on the stigma. In fact, this introrse dehiscence of 

 the anther, and the application of the pollen on the stigma, is given by Le 

 Maout and Decaisne* as a characteristic of the order. At first sight this 

 would make us at once conclude that the flowers were self-fertile, in which 

 case insect-aid would not be absolutely necessary. But what appears a still 

 greater difiiculty is that the pollen is all contained inside a cap, from which 

 I have not seen it shed, and which does not readily open from any side. 

 Yet the flowers are usually fragrant, and contain a large quantity of honey. 

 I am inclined to think that, had I examined the flower at different stages of 



* " Descriptiye and Analytical Botany," by Le Maout and Decaisne, p. 550. Edited 

 by Sir J. D. Hooker. (Longmans and Co.) 



