276 Transactions. — Botany. 



its maturity, I should have found a ckie to this apparently contradictory 

 arrangement. Meanwhile, I commend the case to other working botanists 

 as one that will repay investigation. 



Nat. Ord. Gentiane^. 



Of the five species of Gentiana described in the " Handbook of the 

 N.Z. Flora," I have only examined the commonest form, viz., G. montana. 

 The flowers are white and scentless, and produce very little honey. They 

 are, however, very distinctly proterandrous, and can only be fertilized by 

 pollen from another flower. The style is two-lobed above, and only the 

 inner faces of these are stigmatic, as in Wahlenbergia. The anthers dehisce 

 as soon as the flowers open, but the stigmas do not expand for two or three 

 days after, when they separate pretty widely. Any adhering pollen is then 

 on the outside of the style, but not on the stigmatic arms. 

 Nat. Ord. Convolvulace^. 



Convolvulus tuguriorum and C. soldanella are both plants with very 

 prominent and beautiful flowers ; the former with large white blossoms, 

 which often cover the shrubs over which the plant climbs ; the latter grow- 

 ing only on the sand at the sea-sliore, which it ornaments with its 

 rose-coloured, purple-striped flowers. 



C. tuguriorum remains open all night if the sky is bright, and often in 

 wet weather too, and yet though thus flaunting its attraction before diurnal 

 and nocturnal insects alike it does not seem to be much visited by them. 

 Both the species named are self-fertilized ; they are scentless also, and 

 produce apparently no honey. 



Dichondra repens is a very low-growing, humble plant, producing small, 

 greenish-white or yellowish flowers, which are, however, extremely variable 

 both in size and conspicuousness. The larger and brighter forms are per- 

 haps visited by insects, but the smallest forms show a tendency towards 

 cleistogamy. In some localities I have found them with large calyces 

 (which hardly opened at all), greatly reduced corollas, and stunted anthers, 

 and yet producing full round capsules. 



Nat. Ord. Sckophulakine^. 



This large order is represented in New Zealand by ten genera, the most 

 characteristic and important of which is Veronica. All the flowers of the 

 order are irregular, and we find numberless contrivances for the attraction 

 of insects, and the consequent cross-fertilization which ensues. I have not, 

 however, had opportunities of studying many flowers of this interesting 

 class. 



The fertilization of Glossostigma elatinoides has been remarkably well 

 described by Mr. T. F. Cheeseman.* In this flower the flattened spoon- 

 shaped stigma is sensitive to a touch, and lies over the top of the anthers, 

 " " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. X., p. 363. — 



