284 Transactions. — Botany. 



ing to them have the sexes separate. Thus Fagus menziesii (Nat. Ord. 

 Cupuhferfe) has inconspicuous monoecious flowers ; Epicarpurus microphyllus, 

 Urtica incisa, and U. ferox have dioecious flowers ; while Australina pusilla 

 and Parietaria dehilis are monoecious or polygamous. All these five belong 

 to Nat. Ord. Urticeae. The only exception to this general rule is in FAiplior- 

 bia glauca, which appears occasionally to be visited by insects, and the 

 involucres of which, though not very conspicuous, are yet of a bright purple 

 colour, and enclose more or less honey. The introduced E. peplus, which is 

 a common weed in this part of New Zealand, though producing very small 

 flowers, is evidently dependent on insect-aid for fertilization. The anthers 

 ripen after the pistil, and the four horned glands glisten with a plentiful 

 secretion of honey. The stamens are not visible within the involucral bracts 

 until the female flower is hanging quite out of reach. 



All the Coniferse, I believe, are anemophilous, our New Zealand species 

 being no exception to the rule. Their flowers are either monoecious or 

 dioecious, and the male flowers are produced in such mass as to scatter their 

 pollen in clouds. 



Monocotyledons. 



In this class, as has been pointed out by Sir J. Lubbock in his work 

 already quoted, the contrivances and means of adaptation to secure the visits 

 of insects are not so numerous nor so complicated as in Dicotyledons, if we 

 except the remarkable order of Orchidea3. Still we have some interesting 

 modes of fertilization, even outside of this order, as perfect as any yet 

 detailed. 



Nat. Ord. Okchide^. 



The modes of fertilization of many of the species of this order have been 

 described already by Mr. T. F. Cheeseman and myself.* 



Earina mucronata, though differing considerably in appearance from E. 

 avtiminaUs, is similar in structure, and only fitted for cross -fertilization. 

 The flowers are very fragrant and produce a large amount of honey. 



BendroUum cunningliamii. The mode of fertilization I have already 

 described.! This last summer, 1879-80, I found it m great quantity and 

 flowering in magnificent profusion in Stewart Island. In nearly every 

 plant examined the flowers contained a large amount of honey. In one 

 lot of eighty examined ten had their polhnia removed. 



Sarcochilus adversus. I obtained a few flowers of this rare little species 

 from dry rocks close to the edge of the harbour near Port Chalmers. 

 Though one of the smallest and most inconspicuous Orchids in New Zea- 

 land it is absolutely incapable of self-fertihzation, but is dependent on insects, 



* " Trans. N.Z. Inst.," Vol. V., p. 352 ; Vol. YTI., p. 349 ; and Vol. XI., p. 418. 

 t " Trans. N, Z. Inst.," Vol. XI., p. 419. 



