﻿G. 
  M. 
  Thosison. 
  — 
  On 
  C'leistnr/andc 
  Floivers 
  of 
  the 
  Genus 
  Viola. 
  415 
  

  

  over 
  the 
  crises 
  of 
  diseases, 
  or 
  enable 
  exertion 
  or 
  effort 
  to 
  be 
  sustained, 
  when 
  

   without 
  it 
  death 
  or 
  very 
  severe 
  disease 
  would 
  ensue. 
  But 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  well 
  

   here 
  to 
  insist 
  that 
  it 
  bo 
  in 
  all 
  cases 
  swallowed, 
  and 
  not 
  used 
  by 
  sub- 
  

   cutaneous 
  injection, 
  as 
  it 
  thus 
  acts 
  quite 
  differently 
  in 
  some 
  respects, 
  and 
  

   is 
  modified 
  in 
  others, 
  and 
  would 
  always 
  be 
  better 
  given 
  medicinally 
  in 
  that 
  

   way, 
  than 
  when 
  subcutaneously 
  injected, 
  as 
  when 
  swallowed 
  it 
  is 
  mixed 
  

   with 
  the 
  saliva 
  and 
  gastric 
  fluids, 
  which 
  modify 
  its 
  action, 
  whereas 
  if 
  

   injected 
  under 
  the 
  skin 
  it 
  is 
  absorbed, 
  and 
  acts 
  in 
  a 
  different, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  a 
  

   more 
  sudden 
  and 
  violent 
  manner. 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  now 
  able 
  to 
  speak 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  

   doses 
  that 
  will 
  be 
  most 
  beneficial, 
  as 
  my 
  supply 
  of 
  Pituri 
  is 
  exhausted, 
  but 
  

   small 
  and 
  repeated 
  doses 
  of 
  the 
  leaves, 
  or 
  a 
  powder 
  thereof 
  masticated, 
  or 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  some 
  linctus, 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  lozenges, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  well 
  

   mixed 
  with 
  the 
  saliva, 
  are 
  the 
  best 
  forms 
  of 
  using 
  it. 
  But 
  as 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  more 
  

   fully 
  studied, 
  no 
  doubt 
  other 
  facts 
  will 
  reveal 
  themselves 
  with 
  regard 
  to 
  it 
  

   and 
  to 
  its 
  uses 
  and 
  proper 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  materia 
  niedlca. 
  At 
  all 
  events, 
  if 
  

   these 
  observations 
  cause 
  others 
  to 
  examine 
  this 
  important 
  agent, 
  and 
  when 
  

   it 
  is 
  better 
  known, 
  and 
  health 
  is 
  gained 
  or 
  life 
  is 
  saved 
  by 
  this 
  drug, 
  my 
  

   object 
  in 
  bringing 
  this 
  matter 
  before 
  the 
  Society 
  will 
  be 
  gained. 
  

  

  Aet. 
  LX. 
  — 
  Xotes 
  on 
  Cleistogamic 
  FloKcrs 
  of 
  the 
  Genus 
  Viola. 
  

   By 
  George 
  M. 
  Thomson. 
  

   {Read 
  before 
  the 
  Otago 
  Institute, 
  lith 
  May, 
  1S7S.1 
  

   It 
  is 
  a 
  well-known 
  fact 
  that, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  poverty 
  of 
  insect 
  life 
  in 
  these 
  

   islands, 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  cntomopJiilous 
  plants, 
  i.e., 
  those 
  requiring 
  insect 
  aid 
  in 
  

   securing 
  fertihzation, 
  is 
  small 
  in 
  comparison 
  with 
  most 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   world. 
  Hence, 
  also, 
  the 
  comparative 
  want 
  of 
  gaily-coloured 
  flowers, 
  and 
  the 
  

   prevalence 
  of 
  Avhite, 
  green, 
  and 
  inconspicuous 
  flowers. 
  As 
  every 
  fact 
  

   bearing 
  on 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  fertilization 
  of 
  flowers 
  gives 
  us 
  additional 
  insight 
  

   into 
  the 
  relations 
  of 
  the 
  indigenous 
  fauna 
  and 
  flora, 
  I 
  make 
  no 
  further 
  

   apology 
  for 
  communicating 
  the 
  following 
  notes 
  to 
  the 
  Institute. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  plants 
  which 
  produce 
  two 
  kinds 
  of 
  hermaphrodite 
  

   flowers, 
  viz., 
  tolerably 
  large 
  and 
  conspicuous 
  flowers, 
  flatted 
  for 
  cross-fertili- 
  

   zation 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  insects, 
  and 
  small, 
  closed 
  ones, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  depauperated, 
  

   and 
  sometimes 
  produced 
  underground, 
  fitted 
  only 
  for 
  self-fertilization. 
  These 
  

   last 
  are 
  known 
  as 
  Cleistogainic 
  (Gr. 
  kleidos, 
  closed; 
  gamos, 
  union). 
  In 
  Dar- 
  

   win's 
  latest 
  botanical 
  work, 
  "On 
  Different 
  Forms 
  of 
  Flowers," 
  there 
  is 
  

   given 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  fifiy-five 
  genera, 
  certain 
  species 
  of 
  which 
  produce 
  these 
  

   flowers. 
  Of 
  the 
  genus 
  Viola, 
  fifteen 
  species 
  are 
  named, 
  which 
  in'oduce, 
  

  

  